Act II
Great news, glorious news, the Assyrians are beaten!
Naaman is returning, crowned with victory. Glory to our noblecaptain!
No, he is killed. I had it from one of the camp-followers whosaw him fall at the head of the battle. They are bringinghis body to bury it with honour. O sorrowful victory!
RAKHAZ:Peace, my good fellows, you are ignorant, you have not beenrightly informed, I will misinform you. The accounts ofNaaman's death are overdrawn. He was killed, but his lifehas been preserved. One of his wounds was mortal, but theother three were curable, and by these the physicians havesaved him.
RAKHAZ:Yes, I know it, but I make no boast of my knowledge.
SHUMAKIM:Too modest, for in knowing this you know more than any otherin Damascus!
HAZAEL:Here is Saballidin, we'll question him;He was enflamed by Naaman's wild words,And rode with him to battle. Give us news,Of your great captain! Is he safe and well?When will he come? Or will he come at all?
SABALLIDIN:He comes but now, returning from the fieldWhere he hath gained a crown of deathless fame!Three times he led the charge; three times he fellWounded, and the Assyrians beat us back.Yet every wound was but a spur to urgeHis valour onward. In the last attackHe rode before us as the crested waveThat leads the flood; and lo, our enemiesWere broken like a dam of river-reeds.The flying King encircled by his guardWas lodged like driftwood on a little hill.Then Naaman, who led our foremost bandOf whirlwind riders, hammered through the hedgeOf spearmen, brandishing the golden yoke."Take back this gift," he cried; and shattered itOn Shalmaneser's helmet. So the fightDissolved in universal rout; the King,His chariots and his horsemen fled away;Our captain stood the master of the field,And saviour of Damascus! Now he brings,First to the King, report of this great triumph.
RUAHMAH:But what of him who won it? Fares he well?My mistress would receive some word of him.
SABALLIDIN:Hath she not heard?
RUAHMAH:But one brief message came:A letter saying, "We have fought and conquered,"No word of his own person. Fares he well?
SABALLIDIN:Alas, most ill! For he is like a manConsumed by some strange sickness: wasted, wan,--His eyes are dimmed so that he scarce can see;His ears are dulled; his fearless face is paleAs one who walks to meet a certain doomYet will not flinch. It is most pitiful,--But you shall see.
RUAHMAH:Yea, we shall see a manWho dared to face the wrath of evil powersUnknown, and hazard all to save his country.
BENHADAD:Where is my faithful servant Naaman,The captain of my host?
SABALLIDIN:My lord, he comes.
armour. Then four soldiers bearing capturedstandards of Asshur. NAAMAN follows, very pale,armour dinted and stained; he is blind, andguides himself by cords from the standards oneach side, but walks firmly. The doors of thetemple open slightly, and REZON appears at thetop of the steps. NAAMAN lets the cords fall,
NAAMAN:Where is my King?Master, the bearer of thy sword returns.The golden yoke thou gavest me I brokeOn him who sent it. Asshur's Bull hath fledDehorned. The standards of his host are thine!Damascus is all thine, at peace, and free!
BENHADAD:Thou art a mighty man of valour! Come,And let me fold thy courage to my heart.
REZON:Forbear, O King! Stand back from him, all men!By the great name of Rimmon I proclaimThis man a leper! See, upon his brow,This little mark, the death-white seal of doom!That tiny spot will spread, eating his flesh,Gnawing his fingers bone from bone, untilThe impious heart that dared defy the godsDissolves in the slow death which now begins.Unclean! unclean! Henceforward he is dead:No human hand shall touch him, and no homeOf men shall give him shelter. He shall walkOnly with corpses of the selfsame deathDown the long path to a forgotten tomb.Avoid, depart, I do adjure you all,Leave him to god,--the leper Naaman!
temple; the crowd melts away, wailing; TSARPI isamong the first to go, followed by her attendants,except RUAHMAH, who crouches, with her face
BENHADAD:Alas, my son! O Naaman, my son!Why did I let thee go? I must obey.Who can resist the gods? Yet none shall takeThy glorious title, captain of my host!I will provide for thee, and thou shalt dwellWith guards of honour in a house of mineAlways. Damascus never shall forgetWhat thou hast done! O miserable wordsOf crowned impotence! O mockery of powerGiven to kings who cannot even defendTheir dearest from the secret wrath of heaven!O Naaman, my son, my son!
Am I aloneWith thee, inexorable one, whose prideOffended takes this horrible revenge?I must submit my mortal flesh to thee,Almighty, but I will not call thee god!Yet thou hast found the way to wound my soulMost deeply through the flesh; and I must findThe way to let my wounded soul escape!
Come, my last friend, thou art more mercifulThan Rimmon. Why should I endure the doomHe sends me? Irretrievably cut offFrom all dear intercourse of human love,From all the tender touch of human hands,From all brave comradeship with brother-men,With eyes that see no faces through this dark,With ears that hear all voices far away,Why should I cling to misery, and gropeMy long, long way from pain to pain, alone?
RUAHMAH:Nay, not alone, dear lord, for I am here;And I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee!
NAAMAN:What voice is that? The silence of my tombIs broken by a ray of music,--whose?
RUAHMAH:The one who loves thee best in all the world.
NAAMAN:Why that should be,--O dare I dream it true?Tsarpi, my wife? Have I misjudged thy heartAs cold and proud? How nobly thou forgivest!Thou com'st to hold me from the last disgrace,--The coward's flight into the dark. Go backUnstained, my sword! Life is endurableWhile there is one alive on earth who loves us.
RUAHMAH:My lord,--my lord,--O listen! You have erred,--You do mistake me now,--this dream--
NAAMAN:Ah, wake me not! For I can conquer deathDreaming this dream. Let me at last believe,Though gods are cruel, a woman can be kind.Grant me but this! For see,--I ask so little,--Only to know that thou art faithful,That thou art near me, though I touch thee not,--O this will hold me up, though it be givenFrom pity more than love.
RUAHMAH:Not so, my lord!My pity is a stream; my pride of theeIs like the sea that doth engulf the stream;My love for thee is like the sovereign moonThat rules the sea. The tides that fill my soulFlow unto thee and follow after thee;And where thou goest I will go; and whereThou diest I will die,--in the same hour.
NAAMAN:O touch me not! Thou shalt not share my doom.
RUAHMAH:Entreat me not to go. I will obeyIn all but this; but rob me not of this,--The only boon that makes life worth the living,--To walk beside thee day by day, and keepThy foot from stumbling; to prepare thy foodWhen thou art hungry, music for thy rest,And cheerful words to comfort thy black hour;And so to lead thee ever on, and on,Through darkness, till we find the door of hope.
NAAMAN:What word is that? The leper has no hope.
RUAHMAH:Dear lord, the mark upon thy brow is yetNo broader than my little finger-nail.Thy force is not abated, and thy stepIs firm. Wilt thou surrender to the enemyBefore thy strength is touched? Why, let me putA drop of courage from my breast in thine!There is a hope for thee. The captive maidOf Israel who dwelt within thy houseKnew of a god very compassionate,Long-suffering, slow to anger, one who healsThe sick, hath pity on the fatherless,And saves the poor and him who has no helper.His prophet dwells nigh to Samaria;And I have heard that he hath brought the deadTo life again. We'll go to him. The King,If I beseech him, will appoint a guardOf thine own soldiers and Saballidin,Thy friend, to convoy us upon our journey.He'll give us royal letters to the KingOf Israel to make our welcome sure;And we will take the open road, beneathThe open sky, to-morrow, and go onTogether till we find the door of hope.Come, come with me!
NAAMAN:Thou must not touch me!
Take my girdle, then!
NAAMAN:I do begin to think there is a God,Since love on earth can work such miracles:
RUAHMAH:Peace and good health to you, Saballidin.Good morrow to you all. How fares my lord?
SABALLIDIN:The curtains of his tent are folded still:They have not moved since we returned, last night,And told him what befell us in the city.
RUAHMAH:Told him! Why did you make report to himAnd not to me? Am I not captain here,Intrusted by the King's command with careOf Naaman until he is restored?'Tis mine to know the first of good or illIn this adventure: mine to shield his heartFrom every arrow of adversity.What have you told him? Speak!
SABALLIDIN:Lady, we fearedTo bring our news to you. For when the KingOf Israel had read our monarch's letter,He rent his clothes, and cried, "Am I a god,To kill and make alive, that I should healA leper? Ye have come with false pretence,Damascus seeks a quarrel with me. Go!"But when we told our lord, he closed his tent,And there remains enfolded in his grief.I trust he sleeps; 'twere kind to let him sleep!For now he doth forget his misery,And all the burden of his hopeless woeIs lifted from him by the gentle handOf slumber. Oh, to those bereft of hopeSleep is the only blessing left,--the lastAsylum of the weary, the one signOf pity from impenetrable heaven.Waking is strife; sleep is the truce of God!Ah, lady, wake him not. The day will beFull long for him to suffer, and for usTo turn our disappointed faces homeOn the long road by which we must return.
RUAHMAH:Return! Who gave you that command? Not I!The King made me the leader of this quest,And bound you all to follow me, becauseHe knew I never would return withoutThe thing for which he sent us. I'll go onDay after day, unto the uttermost partsOf earth, if need be, and beyond the gatesOf morning, till I find that which I seek,--New life for Naaman. Are ye ashamedTo have a woman lead you? Then go backAnd tell the King, "This huntress went too farFor us to follow: she pursues the trailOf hope alone, refusing to forsakeThe quarry: we grew weary of the chase;And so we left her and retraced our steps,Like faithless hounds, to sleep beside the fire."Did Naaman forsake his soldiers thusWhen you went forth to hunt the Assyrian Bull?Your manly courage is less durableThan woman's love, it seems. Go, if you will,--Who bids me now farewell?
SOLDIERS:Not I, not I!
SABALLIDIN:Lady, lead on, we'll follow you forever!
RUAHMAH:Why, now you speak like men! Brought you no wordOut of Samaria, except that cryOf impotence and fear from Israel's King?
SABALLIDIN:I do remember while he spoke with usA rustic messenger came in, and cried"Elisha saith, bring Naaman to meAt Dothan, he shall surely know there isA God in Israel."
RUAHMAH:What said the King?
SABALLIDIN:He only shouted "Go!" more wildly yet,And rent his clothes again, as if he wereHalf-maddened by a coward's fear, and thoughtOnly of how he might be rid of us.What comfort could there be for him, what hopeFor us, in the rude prophet's misty word?
RUAHMAH:It is the very word for which I prayed!My trust was not in princes; for the crown,The sceptre, and the purple robe are notSignificant of vital power. The manWho saves his brother-men is he who livesHis life with Nature, takes deep hold on truth,And trusts in God. A prophet's word is moreThan all the kings on earth can speak. How farIs Dothan?
SOLDIER:Lady, 'tis but three hours' rideAlong the valley southward.
RUAHMAH:Near! so near?I had not thought to end my task so soon!Prepare yourselves with speed to take the road.I will awake my lord.
SABALLIDIN:Ruahmah, stay!I've been your servant in this doubtful quest,Obedient, faithful, loyal to your will,--What have I earned by this?
RUAHMAH:The gratitudeOf him we both desire to serve: your friend,--My master and my lord.
SABALLIDIN:No more than this?
RUAHMAH:Yes, if you will, take all the thanks my handsCan hold, my lips can speak.
SABALLIDIN:I would have more.
RUAHMAH:My friend, there's nothing more to give to you.My service to my lord is absolute.There's not a drop of blood within my veinsBut quickens at the very thought of him;And not a dream of mine but he doth standWithin its heart and make it bright. No manTo me is other than his friend or foe.You are his friend, and I believe you true!
SABALLIDIN:I have been true to him,--now, I am trueTo you.
RUAHMAH:Why, then, be doubly true to him.O let us match our loyalties, and striveBetween us who shall win the higher crown!Men boast them of a friendship stronger farThan love of woman. Prove it! I'll not boast,But I'll contend with you on equal termsIn this brave race: and if you win the prizeI'll hold you next to him: and if I winHe'll hold you next to me; and either wayWe'll not be far apart. Do you acceptMy challenge?
SABALLIDIN:Yes! For you enforce my heartBy honour to resign its great desire,And love itself to offer sacrificeOf all disloyal dreams on its own altar.Yet love remains; therefore I pray you, thinkHow surely you must lose in our contention.For I am known to Naaman: but youHe blindly takes for Tsarpi. 'Tis to herHe gives his gratitude: the praise you winEndears her name.
RUAHMAH:Her name? Why, what is that?A name is but an empty shell, a maskThat does not change the features of the faceBeneath it. Can a name rejoice, or weep,Or hope? Can it be moved by tendernessTo daily services of love, or feel the warmthOf dear companionship? How many thingsWe call by names that have no meaning! KingsThat cannot rule; and gods that are not good;And wives that do not love! It matters notWhat syllables he utters when he calls,'Tis I who come,--'tis I who ministerUnto my lord, and mine the living heartThat feels the comfort of his confidence,The thrill of gladness when he speaks to me,--I do not hear the name!
SABALLIDIN:And yet, be sureThere's danger in this error,--and no gain!
RUAHMAH:I seek no gain: I only tread the pathMarked for me daily by the hand of love.And if his blindness spared my lord one pangOf sorrow in his black, forsaken hour,--And if this error makes his burdened heartMore quiet, and his shadowed way less dark,Whom do I rob? Not her who chose to stayAt ease in Rimmon's House! Surely not him!Only myself! And that enriches me.Why trouble we the master? Let it go,--To-morrow he must know the truth,--and thenHe shall dispose of me e'en as he will!
Words in this poem 46
- glorious a.
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- rightly adv.
- Straightly; directly; in front. [AS. richtlice.]
- informed a.
- Unformed or ill-formed; deformed; shapeless.
- misinform v. t.
- To give untrue information to; to inform wrongly.
- curable a.
- Capable of being cured; admitting remedy. [Cf. F. curable. See Cure, v. t.]
- rode n.
- Redness; complexion. [See Rud.]
- deathless a.
- Not subject to death, destruction, or extinction; immortal; undying; imperishable; as, deathless beings; deathless fame.
- driftwood n.
- Wood drifted or floated by water.
- saviour n.
- One who saves, preserves, or delivers from destruction or danger. [OE. saveour, OF. salveor, F. sauveur, fr. L. salvator to save. See Save, v.]
- scarce a.
- Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- armour n.
- Defensive arms for the body; any clothing or covering worn to protect one's person in battle. [OE. armure, fr. F. armure, OF. armeure, fr. L. armatura. See Armature.]
- broke v. i.
- To transact business for another. Brome. [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
- leper n.
- A person affected with leprosy.
- defy v. t.
- To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce. [F. défier, OF. deffier, desfier, LL. disfidare to disown faith or fidelity, to dissolve the bond of allegiance, as between the vassal and his lord; hence, to ch]
- henceforward adv.
- From this time forward; henceforth.
- selfsame a.
- Precisely the same; the very same; identical. [Self, a. + same.]
- avoid v. t.
- To empty. Wyclif. [OF. esvuidier, es (L. ex) + vuidier, voidier, to empty. See Void, a.]
- depart v. i.
- To part; to divide; to separate. [OE. departen to divide, part, depart, F. départir to divide, distribute, se départir to separate one's self, depart; pref. dé- (L. de) + partir to part, depart,]
- adjure v. t.
- To charge, bind, or command, solemnly, as if under oath, or under the penalty of a curse; to appeal to in the most solemn or impressive manner; to entreat earnestly. [L. adjurare, adjurdium, to swear to; later, to adjure: cf. F. adjurer. See Jury.]
- shalt
- 2d per. sing. of Shall.
- dwell v. i.
- To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- impotence n.
- The quality or condition of being impotent; want of strength or power, animal, intellectual, or moral; weakness; feebleness; inability; imbecility. [L. impotenia inability, poverty, want of moderation. See Impotent.]
- irretrievably adv.
- In an irretrievable manner.
- comradeship n.
- The state of being a comrade; intimate fellowship.
- nobly adv.
- Of noble extraction; as, nobly born or descended.
- endurable a.
- Capable of being endured or borne; sufferable. [Cf. OF. endurable. See Endure.]
- engulf v. t.
- To absorb or swallow up as in a gulf. [Pref. en- + gulf: cf. OF. engolfer. Cf. Ingulf.]
- entreat v. t.
- To treat, or conduct toward; to deal with; to use. [OE. entreten to treat, request, OF. entraiter to treat of; pref. en- (L. in) + traitier to treat. See Treat.]
- boon n.
- A prayer or petition. [OE. bone, boin, a petition, fr. Icel. b; akin to Sw. & Dan. b, AS. b, and perh. to E. ban; but influenced by F. bon good, fr. L. bonus. Ban, Bounty.]
- fatherless a.
- Destitute of a living father; as, a fatherless child.
- convoy v. t.
- To accompany for protection, either by sea or land; to attend for protection; to escort; as, a frigate convoys a merchantman. [F. convoyer, OF. conveier, convoier. See Convey.]
- adversity n.
- Opposition; contrariety. Wyclif. [OE. adversite, F. adversité, fr. L. adversitas.]
- pretence n.
- The act of laying claim; the claim laid; assumption; pretension. [LL. praetensus, for L. praetentus, p. p. of praetendere. See Pretend, and cf. Tension.]
- asylum n.
- A sanctuary or place of refuge and protection, where criminals and debtors found shelter, and from which they could not be forcibly taken without sacrilege.
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
- disappointed a.
- Defeated of expectation or hope; balked; as, a disappointed person or hope.
- uttermost a.
- Extreme; utmost; being; in the farthest, greatest, or highest degree; as, the uttermost extent or end. [From Utter, a.; cf. Utmost, and Outermost.]
- huntress n.
- A woman who hunts or follows the chase; as, the huntress Diana.
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- spoke n.
- The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
- saith
- 3d pers. sing. pres. of Say.
- sceptre n.
- A staff or baton borne by a sovereign, as a ceremonial badge or emblem of authority; a royal mace. [F. sceptre, L. sceptrum, from Gr. shaft. See Shaft, and cf. Scape a stem, shaft.]
- blindly adv.
- Without sight, discernment, or understanding; without thought, investigation, knowledge, or purpose of one's own.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Act II is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Henry Van Dyke, Project Gutenberg ebook #16229; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Henry Van Dyke, Act II, in The Poems of Henry Van Dyke (1925), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #16229, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/van-dyke-poems/act-ii.html, id L22987.
Form and metre
Act II is 407 lines in 63 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 85%).
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 8 -A--B-B------------A-- saballidin · fieldA · fame · fell · backB · urge · attackB · wave · enemies · reeds · guard · hill · band · hedge · yoke · it · fight · king · away · fieldA · brings · triumph
- 12 ---AB-BA saballidin · man · wan · seeA · paleB · doom · pitifulB · seeA
- 16 ----AA- captured · pale · and · on · theA · theA · fall
- 19 ----A--------A-- rezon · men · proclaim · brow · doomA · flesh · until · gods · begins · dead · home · walk · death · tombA · all · naaman
- 21 -A---------AA benhadad · sonA · obey · take · host · dwell · mine · forget · words · power · defend · heavenA · sonA
- 30 --A---A-- ruahmah · lord · theeA · stream · moon · soul · theeA · where · hour
- 34 -----A--BA-B---C---C----- ruahmah · yet · nail · step · enemy · putA · thine · maid · houseB · compassionateA · heals · fatherlessB · helper · samaria · dead · kingC · guard · saballidin · journey · kingC · sure · beneath · on · hope · me
- 40 --AA----- ruahmah · him · hereA · careA · restored · ill · heart · adversity · speak
- 41 ----A--B----B---CCA---- saballidin · feared · king · letter · godA · heal · pretence · goB · tent · grief · sleep · misery · woeB · hand · hope · last · signC · heavenC · godA · be · us · home · return
- 42 ------------------AAAA ruahmah · i · quest · because · without · on · parts · gates · seek · ashamed · back · far · trail · forsake · chase · steps · fire · thus · bullA · durableA · willA · farewellA
- 50 -AA soldier · rideA · southwardA
- 57 -A------A ruahmah · youA · absolute · veins · him · stand · man · foe · trueA
- 58 -AA saballidin · trueA · youA
- 60 ------A--A- saballidin · heart · desire · sacrifice · altar · think · contentionA · you · her · winA · name
- 61 ---A-A-BB-------- ruahmah · that · mask · faceA · weep · tendernessA · warmth · thingsB · kingsB · good · not · calls · minister · heart · confidence · me · name
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Great news, glorious news, the Assyrians are beaten! | 12 | ··/˘··˘/˘·/˘ |
| Naaman is returning, crowned with victory. Glory to our noble | 16 | ···˘/˘··/˘/˘·//˘ |
| captain! | 2 | /˘ |
| No, he is killed. I had it from one of the camp-followers who | 15 | ············/˘· |
| saw him fall at the head of the battle. They are bringing | 14 | ········/˘··/˘ |
| his body to bury it with honour. O sorrowful victory! | 15 | ·/˘·/˘··/˘·/˘/˘ |
| RAKHAZ: | 2 | ·· |
| Peace, my good fellows, you are ignorant, you have not been | 13 | ···/˘··/˘···· |
| rightly informed, I will misinform you. The accounts of | 14 | /˘˘/··˘·/··˘/· |
| Naaman's death are overdrawn. He was killed, but his life | 13 | ····/˘/······ |
| has been preserved. One of his wounds was mortal, but the | 13 | ··˘/·····/˘·· |
| other three were curable, and by these the physicians have | 14 | /˘··/˘····˘/˘· |
| saved him. | 2 | ·· |
| RAKHAZ: | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, I know it, but I make no boast of my knowledge. | 13 | ···········/˘ |
| SHUMAKIM: | 3 | ··· |
| Too modest, for in knowing this you know more than any other | 15 | ·/˘··/·····/˘/˘ |
| in Damascus! | 4 | ·˘/˘ |
| HAZAEL: | 2 | ·· |
| Here is Saballidin, we'll question him; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| He was enflamed by Naaman's wild words, | 10 | ····˘····· |
| And rode with him to battle. Give us news, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Of your great captain! Is he safe and well? | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| When will he come? Or will he come at all? | 10 | ·········· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| He comes but now, returning from the field | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| Where he hath gained a crown of deathless fame! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Three times he led the charge; three times he fell | 10 | ·········· |
| Wounded, and the Assyrians beat us back. | 10 | /˘··˘/˘··· |
| Yet every wound was but a spur to urge | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| His valour onward. In the last attack | 10 | ·/˘/˘···˘/ |
| He rode before us as the crested wave | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| That leads the flood; and lo, our enemies | 11 | ······/˘/˘˘ |
| Were broken like a dam of river-reeds. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| The flying King encircled by his guard | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Was lodged like driftwood on a little hill. | 10 | ···/···/˘· |
| Then Naaman, who led our foremost band | 10 | ·····/˘/·· |
| Of whirlwind riders, hammered through the hedge | 10 | ·/·/˘/˘··· |
| Of spearmen, brandishing the golden yoke. | 10 | ···/˘˘·/˘· |
| "Take back this gift," he cried; and shattered it | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| On Shalmaneser's helmet. So the fight | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Dissolved in universal rout; the King, | 10 | ˘/··˘/˘··· |
| His chariots and his horsemen fled away; | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| Our captain stood the master of the field, | 10 | //˘··/˘··· |
| And saviour of Damascus! Now he brings, | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| First to the King, report of this great triumph. | 11 | ····˘/···/˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| But what of him who won it? Fares he well? | 10 | ·········· |
| My mistress would receive some word of him. | 10 | ·/˘·˘/···· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| Hath she not heard? | 4 | ···· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| But one brief message came: | 6 | ···/˘· |
| A letter saying, "We have fought and conquered," | 11 | ·/˘/˘····/˘ |
| No word of his own person. Fares he well? | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| Alas, most ill! For he is like a man | 10 | ˘/········ |
| Consumed by some strange sickness: wasted, wan,-- | 10 | ˘/···/˘/˘· |
| His eyes are dimmed so that he scarce can see; | 10 | ·········· |
| His ears are dulled; his fearless face is pale | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| As one who walks to meet a certain doom | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Yet will not flinch. It is most pitiful,-- | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| But you shall see. | 4 | ···· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Yea, we shall see a man | 6 | ······ |
| Who dared to face the wrath of evil powers | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| Unknown, and hazard all to save his country. | 11 | ˘/·/˘····/˘ |
| BENHADAD: | 3 | ··· |
| Where is my faithful servant Naaman, | 9 | ···/˘/˘·· |
| The captain of my host? | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| My lord, he comes. | 4 | ···· |
| armour. Then four soldiers bearing captured | 10 | /˘··/˘/˘/˘ |
| standards of Asshur. NAAMAN follows, very pale, | 12 | /˘·····/˘/˘· |
| armour dinted and stained; he is blind, and | 10 | /˘/˘······ |
| guides himself by cords from the standards on | 10 | ·˘/····/˘· |
| each side, but walks firmly. The doors of the | 10 | ····/˘···· |
| temple open slightly, and REZON appears at the | 13 | /˘/˘/˘···˘/·· |
| top of the steps. NAAMAN lets the cords fall, | 10 | ·········· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Where is my King? | 4 | ···· |
| Master, the bearer of thy sword returns. | 10 | /˘·/˘···˘/ |
| The golden yoke thou gavest me I broke | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| On him who sent it. Asshur's Bull hath fled | 10 | ·········· |
| Dehorned. The standards of his host are thine! | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Damascus is all thine, at peace, and free! | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| BENHADAD: | 3 | ··· |
| Thou art a mighty man of valour! Come, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| And let me fold thy courage to my heart. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| Forbear, O King! Stand back from him, all men! | 10 | ˘/········ |
| By the great name of Rimmon I proclaim | 10 | ········˘/ |
| This man a leper! See, upon his brow, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| This little mark, the death-white seal of doom! | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| That tiny spot will spread, eating his flesh, | 10 | ·/˘···/˘·· |
| Gnawing his fingers bone from bone, until | 10 | /˘·/˘····· |
| The impious heart that dared defy the gods | 11 | ·˘/˘···˘/·· |
| Dissolves in the slow death which now begins. | 10 | ˘/······˘/ |
| Unclean! unclean! Henceforward he is dead: | 11 | ˘/˘/······· |
| No human hand shall touch him, and no home | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Of men shall give him shelter. He shall walk | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Only with corpses of the selfsame death | 10 | /˘·/˘··/˘· |
| Down the long path to a forgotten tomb. | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| Avoid, depart, I do adjure you all, | 10 | ˘/˘/··˘/·· |
| Leave him to god,--the leper Naaman! | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| temple; the crowd melts away, wailing; TSARPI is | 12 | /˘···˘//˘··· |
| among the first to go, followed by her attendants, | 13 | ······/˘··˘/˘ |
| except RUAHMAH, who crouches, with her face | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| BENHADAD: | 3 | ··· |
| Alas, my son! O Naaman, my son! | 9 | ˘/······· |
| Why did I let thee go? I must obey. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Who can resist the gods? Yet none shall take | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Thy glorious title, captain of my host! | 10 | ·/˘/˘/˘··· |
| I will provide for thee, and thou shalt dwell | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| With guards of honour in a house of mine | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Always. Damascus never shall forget | 10 | /·˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| What thou hast done! O miserable words | 10 | ·····/˘˘˘· |
| Of crowned impotence! O mockery of power | 10 | ··/˘·/˘˘·/ |
| Given to kings who cannot even defend | 10 | /···/˘/˘˘/ |
| Their dearest from the secret wrath of heaven! | 11 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| O Naaman, my son, my son! | 7 | ······· |
| Am I alone | 4 | ··˘/ |
| With thee, inexorable one, whose pride | 10 | ···/˘˘˘··· |
| Offended takes this horrible revenge? | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘˘˘/ |
| I must submit my mortal flesh to thee, | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| Almighty, but I will not call thee god! | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| Yet thou hast found the way to wound my soul | 10 | ·········· |
| Most deeply through the flesh; and I must find | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| The way to let my wounded soul escape! | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Come, my last friend, thou art more merciful | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Than Rimmon. Why should I endure the doom | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| He sends me? Irretrievably cut off | 10 | ···˘˘/˘˘·· |
| From all dear intercourse of human love, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| From all the tender touch of human hands, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| From all brave comradeship with brother-men, | 10 | ···/˘˘·/˘· |
| With eyes that see no faces through this dark, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| With ears that hear all voices far away, | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Why should I cling to misery, and grope | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| My long, long way from pain to pain, alone? | 10 | ········˘/ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Nay, not alone, dear lord, for I am here; | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| And I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee! | 10 | ···/···˘/· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| What voice is that? The silence of my tomb | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Is broken by a ray of music,--whose? | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| The one who loves thee best in all the world. | 10 | ·········· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Why that should be,--O dare I dream it true? | 10 | ·········· |
| Tsarpi, my wife? Have I misjudged thy heart | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| As cold and proud? How nobly thou forgivest! | 11 | ·····/˘·˘/˘ |
| Thou com'st to hold me from the last disgrace,-- | 10 | ········˘/ |
| The coward's flight into the dark. Go back | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Unstained, my sword! Life is endurable | 10 | ˘/····˘/˘˘ |
| While there is one alive on earth who loves us. | 11 | ····˘/····· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| My lord,--my lord,--O listen! You have erred,-- | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| You do mistake me now,--this dream-- | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Ah, wake me not! For I can conquer death | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Dreaming this dream. Let me at last believe, | 10 | /˘······˘/ |
| Though gods are cruel, a woman can be kind. | 10 | ···/·/˘··· |
| Grant me but this! For see,--I ask so little,-- | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Only to know that thou art faithful, | 9 | /˘·····/˘ |
| That thou art near me, though I touch thee not,-- | 10 | ·········· |
| O this will hold me up, though it be given | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| From pity more than love. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Not so, my lord! | 4 | ···· |
| My pity is a stream; my pride of thee | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Is like the sea that doth engulf the stream; | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| My love for thee is like the sovereign moon | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| That rules the sea. The tides that fill my soul | 10 | ·········· |
| Flow unto thee and follow after thee; | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And where thou goest I will go; and where | 9 | ········· |
| Thou diest I will die,--in the same hour. | 10 | ········/˘ |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| O touch me not! Thou shalt not share my doom. | 10 | ·········· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Entreat me not to go. I will obey | 10 | ˘/······˘/ |
| In all but this; but rob me not of this,-- | 10 | ·········· |
| The only boon that makes life worth the living,-- | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| To walk beside thee day by day, and keep | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Thy foot from stumbling; to prepare thy food | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| When thou art hungry, music for thy rest, | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| And cheerful words to comfort thy black hour; | 11 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| And so to lead thee ever on, and on, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Through darkness, till we find the door of hope. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| What word is that? The leper has no hope. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Dear lord, the mark upon thy brow is yet | 10 | ·········· |
| No broader than my little finger-nail. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Thy force is not abated, and thy step | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| Is firm. Wilt thou surrender to the enemy | 11 | ····˘/˘··/˘ |
| Before thy strength is touched? Why, let me put | 10 | ·········· |
| A drop of courage from my breast in thine! | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| There is a hope for thee. The captive maid | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Of Israel who dwelt within thy house | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| Knew of a god very compassionate, | 10 | ····/˘˘/˘˘ |
| Long-suffering, slow to anger, one who heals | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| The sick, hath pity on the fatherless, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| And saves the poor and him who has no helper. | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| His prophet dwells nigh to Samaria; | 10 | ·/˘····˘/˘ |
| And I have heard that he hath brought the dead | 10 | ·········· |
| To life again. We'll go to him. The King, | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| If I beseech him, will appoint a guard | 10 | ··˘/··˘/·· |
| Of thine own soldiers and Saballidin, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Thy friend, to convoy us upon our journey. | 11 | ···/····//˘ |
| He'll give us royal letters to the King | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Of Israel to make our welcome sure; | 10 | ·/˘˘··//˘· |
| And we will take the open road, beneath | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| The open sky, to-morrow, and go on | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Together till we find the door of hope. | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| Come, come with me! | 4 | ···· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Thou must not touch me! | 5 | ····· |
| Take my girdle, then! | 5 | ··/˘· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| I do begin to think there is a God, | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Since love on earth can work such miracles: | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Peace and good health to you, Saballidin. | 10 | ·········· |
| Good morrow to you all. How fares my lord? | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| The curtains of his tent are folded still: | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| They have not moved since we returned, last night, | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| And told him what befell us in the city. | 11 | ····˘/···/˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Told him! Why did you make report to him | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| And not to me? Am I not captain here, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Intrusted by the King's command with care | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Of Naaman until he is restored? | 10 | ·······˘/˘ |
| 'Tis mine to know the first of good or ill | 10 | ·········· |
| In this adventure: mine to shield his heart | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| From every arrow of adversity. | 11 | ·/˘˘/˘·˘/˘˘ |
| What have you told him? Speak! | 6 | ······ |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| Lady, we feared | 4 | /˘·· |
| To bring our news to you. For when the King | 10 | ··/······· |
| Of Israel had read our monarch's letter, | 11 | ·/˘˘··//·/˘ |
| He rent his clothes, and cried, "Am I a god, | 10 | ·········· |
| To kill and make alive, that I should heal | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| A leper? Ye have come with false pretence, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Damascus seeks a quarrel with me. Go!" | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘··· |
| But when we told our lord, he closed his tent, | 10 | ····/····· |
| And there remains enfolded in his grief. | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘··· |
| I trust he sleeps; 'twere kind to let him sleep! | 10 | ·········· |
| For now he doth forget his misery, | 10 | ····˘/·/˘˘ |
| And all the burden of his hopeless woe | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Is lifted from him by the gentle hand | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Of slumber. Oh, to those bereft of hope | 10 | ·/˘···˘/·· |
| Sleep is the only blessing left,--the last | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Asylum of the weary, the one sign | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Of pity from impenetrable heaven. | 11 | ·/˘·˘/˘˘˘/˘ |
| Waking is strife; sleep is the truce of God! | 10 | /˘········ |
| Ah, lady, wake him not. The day will be | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Full long for him to suffer, and for us | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| To turn our disappointed faces home | 10 | ··/·˘/˘/˘· |
| On the long road by which we must return. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Return! Who gave you that command? Not I! | 10 | ˘/····˘/·· |
| The King made me the leader of this quest, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And bound you all to follow me, because | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| He knew I never would return without | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| The thing for which he sent us. I'll go on | 10 | ·········· |
| Day after day, unto the uttermost parts | 11 | ·······/˘˘· |
| Of earth, if need be, and beyond the gates | 10 | ·········· |
| Of morning, till I find that which I seek,-- | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| New life for Naaman. Are ye ashamed | 10 | ·······˘/˘ |
| To have a woman lead you? Then go back | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| And tell the King, "This huntress went too far | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| For us to follow: she pursues the trail | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| Of hope alone, refusing to forsake | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| The quarry: we grew weary of the chase; | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| And so we left her and retraced our steps, | 10 | ······˘//· |
| Like faithless hounds, to sleep beside the fire." | 11 | ·/˘···˘/·/˘ |
| Did Naaman forsake his soldiers thus | 9 | ···˘/·/˘· |
| When you went forth to hunt the Assyrian Bull? | 11 | ·······˘/˘· |
| Your manly courage is less durable | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘˘ |
| Than woman's love, it seems. Go, if you will,-- | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Who bids me now farewell? | 6 | ·····/ |
| SOLDIERS: | 2 | /˘ |
| Not I, not I! | 4 | ···· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| Lady, lead on, we'll follow you forever! | 11 | /˘···/˘·˘/˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Why, now you speak like men! Brought you no word | 10 | ·········· |
| Out of Samaria, except that cry | 10 | ···˘/˘···· |
| Of impotence and fear from Israel's King? | 10 | ·/˘˘···/˘· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| I do remember while he spoke with us | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| A rustic messenger came in, and cried | 10 | ·/˘/˘˘···· |
| "Elisha saith, bring Naaman to me | 9 | /˘˘······ |
| At Dothan, he shall surely know there is | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| A God in Israel." | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| What said the King? | 4 | ···· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| He only shouted "Go!" more wildly yet, | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| And rent his clothes again, as if he were | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| Half-maddened by a coward's fear, and thought | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Only of how he might be rid of us. | 10 | /˘········ |
| What comfort could there be for him, what hope | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| For us, in the rude prophet's misty word? | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| It is the very word for which I prayed! | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| My trust was not in princes; for the crown, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| The sceptre, and the purple robe are not | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Significant of vital power. The man | 10 | ˘/˘˘·/˘/·· |
| Who saves his brother-men is he who lives | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| His life with Nature, takes deep hold on truth, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| And trusts in God. A prophet's word is more | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Than all the kings on earth can speak. How far | 10 | ·········· |
| Is Dothan? | 3 | ·/˘ |
| SOLDIER: | 2 | /˘ |
| Lady, 'tis but three hours' ride | 7 | /˘····· |
| Along the valley southward. | 7 | ˘/·/˘/˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Near! so near? | 3 | ··· |
| I had not thought to end my task so soon! | 10 | ·········· |
| Prepare yourselves with speed to take the road. | 10 | ˘/˘/······ |
| I will awake my lord. | 6 | ··˘/·· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| Ruahmah, stay! | 3 | ··· |
| I've been your servant in this doubtful quest, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Obedient, faithful, loyal to your will,-- | 10 | ˘/˘/˘/˘··· |
| What have I earned by this? | 6 | ······ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| The gratitude | 4 | ·/˘· |
| Of him we both desire to serve: your friend,-- | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| My master and my lord. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| No more than this? | 4 | ···· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, if you will, take all the thanks my hands | 10 | ·········· |
| Can hold, my lips can speak. | 6 | ······ |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| I would have more. | 4 | ···· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| My friend, there's nothing more to give to you. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| My service to my lord is absolute. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| There's not a drop of blood within my veins | 10 | ·········· |
| But quickens at the very thought of him; | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| And not a dream of mine but he doth stand | 10 | ·········· |
| Within its heart and make it bright. No man | 10 | ·········· |
| To me is other than his friend or foe. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| You are his friend, and I believe you true! | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| I have been true to him,--now, I am true | 10 | ·········· |
| To you. | 2 | ·· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Why, then, be doubly true to him. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| O let us match our loyalties, and strive | 10 | ····//˘˘·· |
| Between us who shall win the higher crown! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Men boast them of a friendship stronger far | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| Than love of woman. Prove it! I'll not boast, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| But I'll contend with you on equal terms | 10 | ··˘/···/˘· |
| In this brave race: and if you win the prize | 10 | ·········· |
| I'll hold you next to him: and if I win | 10 | ·········· |
| He'll hold you next to me; and either way | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| We'll not be far apart. Do you accept | 10 | ····˘/··˘/ |
| My challenge? | 3 | ·/˘ |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| Yes! For you enforce my heart | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| By honour to resign its great desire, | 11 | ·/˘·˘/··˘/˘ |
| And love itself to offer sacrifice | 10 | ··˘/·/˘/˘· |
| Of all disloyal dreams on its own altar. | 11 | ··˘/˘····/˘ |
| Yet love remains; therefore I pray you, think | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| How surely you must lose in our contention. | 11 | ·/˘····/˘/˘ |
| For I am known to Naaman: but you | 9 | ········· |
| He blindly takes for Tsarpi. 'Tis to her | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| He gives his gratitude: the praise you win | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Endears her name. | 4 | ˘/·· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Her name? Why, what is that? | 6 | ······ |
| A name is but an empty shell, a mask | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| That does not change the features of the face | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Beneath it. Can a name rejoice, or weep, | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Or hope? Can it be moved by tenderness | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| To daily services of love, or feel the warmth | 11 | ·/˘/˘······ |
| Of dear companionship? How many things | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘· |
| We call by names that have no meaning! Kings | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| That cannot rule; and gods that are not good; | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| And wives that do not love! It matters not | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| What syllables he utters when he calls, | 10 | ·/˘˘·/˘··· |
| 'Tis I who come,--'tis I who minister | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Unto my lord, and mine the living heart | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| That feels the comfort of his confidence, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| The thrill of gladness when he speaks to me,-- | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| I do not hear the name! | 6 | ······ |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| And yet, be sure | 4 | ···· |
| There's danger in this error,--and no gain! | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| I seek no gain: I only tread the path | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Marked for me daily by the hand of love. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| And if his blindness spared my lord one pang | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Of sorrow in his black, forsaken hour,-- | 11 | ·/˘···˘/˘/˘ |
| And if this error makes his burdened heart | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
The first 400 of 407 lines; the reader marks them all.
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.