[Editor: This poem by “R.G.S.” — a pseudonym of John Neilson (1844-1922) — was published in The Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA), 14 January 1880.]
The Lancer Charge at Ulundi.
The Lancers stood by their horse’s heads,
Hemmed in by the hollow square,
Though some of our bravest were down and dead,
Yet still we kept waiting there
Till the trumpet sounded the welcome call;
Then quickly we wheeled about,
And the ranks fell back from across our track,
And the Lancers sallied out.
“Form! — gallop! — charge!” — our leader cried;
“Six long lance-lengths to the fore;”
We answered him then with our English cheer
As close on his heels we bore.
He shouted aloud as he waved his sword,
And smiled as his glance went back,
For the bravest blood of the kingdoms three
Is riding in his track.
It rises again, that loud war call,
O’er the thunder of the fray,
And the bravest blood of the kingdoms three
Re-echoed the wild hurrah.
It drowns the din of the galloping horse —
It rises again and again
O’er the levelled spears and the thunder-cloud
Of the horses’ streaming manes.
Here as we rode with headlong speed,
Like war-hounds from the slips!
Brave Wyvill fell and passed away
With our war-cry on his lips.
We are on them now, and our way we plough
Through the forest of hostile spears,
And we hear the hum of the rifle balls
That whistle about our ears.
Through their dusky masses the fierce charge passes,
And the battle grows hot and loud,
As the tempest sweeps — when the red fire leaps
From the heart of the thunder-cloud.
A thousand spears are raised to strike,
And mad hands clutch at our reins,
But we shake them off as a lion shakes
The dewdrops from his mane.
They are scattered and broke by the death-dealing stroke,
As the gleaming lance-thrust speeds;
We pass as a charge of buffaloes pass
When they break through the crackling reeds;
And the bright sword-blades how they flickered and played,
And the fierce blows fall in showers.
They are scattered and gone, for the day is won —
It is ours! it is ours! it is ours!
Hurrah for old England! hurrah for the flag;
Wherever her banner waves,
Let the foeman feel in their forest strength
They are weaker than sickly babes.
Though the arm of England is strong in fight,
And keen is her battle steel,
Her sword shall win her a lasting peace,
For she only strikes to heal.
Calm be the sleep of our noble dead;
May their rest be sound and sweet
Where they lie with the mountains at their head
And the desert at their feet.
The sun will shine and the birds will sing,
And the flowers will bloom anew,
But the song of the birds and the bloom of the flowers
Are nevermore for you!
No more shall ye echo the wild hurrah
We have followed through fire and flood —
The old war-cry that has rang full oft
O’er fields of death and blood.
Though buried low in your nameless graves,
No more the lance to wield;
Fame yet shall tell how well ye rode
On dark Ulundi’s field!
R.G.S.
Penola, December 8th, 1879.
Source:
The Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA), 14 January 1880, p. 4
Editor’s notes:
blow = a hard hit with a fist, hand, implement, or weapon; a heavy, powerful, or violent assault, attack, hit, punch, or stroke
din = a loud noise which continues for a significant amount of time, especially an unpleasant noise
fore = situated in front of, at the forefront, at or near the front
kingdoms three = (in the context of the United Kingdom) the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Wales, a country which is part of the United Kingdom, is a principality, not a kingdom)
o’er = (archaic) over (pronounced the same as “oar”, “or”, and “ore”)
oft = (archaic) often
sallied = past tense of “sally”: [see: sally]
sally = a military attack or sortie against an enemy, especially by soldiers who are besieged or surrounded; a pouring forth of soldiers from a base or position (especially a fortified or defensive position) to attack an enemy; to burst out, to rush forward; a pouring forth of words; an outburst; a commencement or start of activity; to go on a journey (“sallied” is often used in conjunction with “forth”, especially in a military context, e.g. “they sallied forth from the castle”)
Ulundi = a town in South Africa, formerly the capital of the Zulu Kingdom, where the Battle of Ulundi took place on 4 July 1879 (it was the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War, fought between the British and the Zulus)
See: “Battle of Ulundi”, Wikipedia
war-hound = a dog trained for use in military fighting or battle (also known as a “war dog”); a soldier experienced in warfare, especially one who is aggressive, battle-hardened, and/or devoted to the cause; someone who demands, desires, or threatens war
See: “Dogs in warfare”, Wikipedia
ye = (archaic; dialectal) you (still in use in some places, e.g. in Cornwall, Ireland, Newfoundland, and Northern England; it can used as either the singular or plural form of “you”, although the plural form is the more common usage)
[Editor: Changed “death and blood,” to “death and blood.” (replaced the comma with a full stop, in line with the bulk of the poem regarding the ending of (most) 4th lines, and as per the flow of the poem.]
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