[Editor: This poem by William Blocksidge (also known as William Baylebridge) was published in Songs o’ the South (1908).]
Spanish Battle Song
Now comes, now comes the haughty foe —
Their clashing arms resound;
But we will lay their pride full low,
And strow their limbs around!
Their blood shall flow across the plain,
And fill the brook and field;
And heaps of Saracenic slain
The warrior’s harvest yield!
Shall Santiago leave our sons
To fall beneath the Moor?
’Tis foulest death for him who shuns
To slay the Moslem boor!
The Campeador —our gallant Cid —
His glory shall again
Within ten thousand bosoms bid
E’en death, to die for Spain!
Now lower the lance, with streamer gay,
And bend o’er saddle-bow;
Now rend their shields, and tear away
The bosoms of the foe!
All spoil shall crown the brave; then quell
With brand and burly spear —
Yea, scourge the cursèd Infidel,
That all our sons may fear!
Source:
William Blocksidge, Songs o’ the South, London: Watts, 1908, p. 8
Editor’s notes:
boor = someone who is ill-mannered, badly behaved, coarse, crude, disagreeable, insensitive, uncouth in manners or appearance
e’en = (archaic) a contraction of “even”
gay = happy, joyous, carefree (may also mean well-decorated, bright, attractive) (in modern times it may especially refer to a homosexual, especially a male homosexual; may also refer to something which is no good, pathetic, useless)
Moor = a general term for the Arabs of Northern Africa (references to the Moors may also include those Arabs who had invaded, conquered, and settled in Southern Europe)
o’er = (archaic) over (pronounced the same as “oar”, “or”, and “ore”)
’tis = (archaic) a contraction of “it is”
yea = yes; indeed; truly; an affirmation (especially an affirmative vote), an indication of assent
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