“Oh warmly down the sunbeams fell” [“Ehrenbreitstein”] [poem]
Oh warmly down the sunbeams fell,
a
Along the broad and fierce Moselle.
And on the city, and distant mountain ridge,
And on the city, and the bridge,
So beautiful that stood,
Tall tower and spire or gloomy fort,
Were made, and shattered in the sport,
Of that impetuous flood,
That on the one side washed the wall,
Of Gothic mansion fair and tall,
And on the other side was seen,
Checked by broad meadows rich and green,
And scattering spray, that sparkling flew,
And fed the grass with constant dew.
With broader stream, and mightier wrath,
The Rhine had chosen bolder path,
All, yielding to his forceful will,
Through basalt gorge, and rock ribbed hill,
Still flashed his deep right on.
It checked not at the battled pride
Where Ehrenbreitstein walled his side,
Stretching across with giant stride
The mighty waves the rock deride,
And on the crag like armies ride,
Flinging the white foam far and wide
Upon the rough grey stone.
Beneath the sweep of yon dark fell,
Join the two brothers, the Moselle,
Greeting the Rhine in friendly guise, 1
To join his headlong current flies, 2
Together down the rivers go,
Resistless oer their rocky foe,
As lovers joining hand in hand
Toward the west beside their strand,
They rivers pass full
Like Allied armies mingled band,
Toward the east white whirls of sand,
The river
The morning came, and rosy light b
Blushed oer the bastions and the height
Where traitor never stood, 4
And
The waters wheeled their sullen flight,
Till oer them far for many a rood,
The red sun scattered tinge of blood,
Till ‸
On the rich plain the lustre lay
And distant spire and village white
Confessed the kiss of dawn
Still multiplying on the sight
As sunnier grew the morn,
We climbed the crag, we scaled the ridge,
On Coblentz looked adown,
The tall red roofs the long white bridge,
And on the eyelike frown
Of the portals of her palaces,
And on her peoples busy press,
There never was a fair
Between two rivers as it lay
Whence morning mist was curling grey,
On the plains edge, beside the hill
Oh it was lying calm and still
In mornings chastened glow,
The multitudes were thronging by,
But we were dizzily on high,
And we might not one murmur hear
Nor whisper tingling on the ear
From the far depth below.
The bridge of boats, the bridge of boats, d
Across the hot tide how it floats,
In one dark bending line,
For other bridge were swept away
Such shackle loveth not the play
Of the impetuous Rhine,
The feeble bridge, that bends below,
The tread of one weak man,
It yet can stem the forceful flow,
Which nought unyielding can,
The bar of shingle stems the sea
The granite cliffs are worn away
The bending reed can bear the blast,
When English oak were downward cast,
The bridge of boats the Rhine can chain,
Where strength of stone were all in vain,
Oh fast and faster on the stream,
An island driveth down.
The Schwartzwald pine hath shed its green
But not at autumns frown.
A sharper winter stripped them there,
The tall straight trunks are bald and bare,
The peasant on some Alpine brow,
Hath cut the root and lopped the bough,
The eagle heard the echoing fall
And soared away to his high eyrie,
The chamois gave his warning call
And higher on the mountain tall
Pursued his way unweary,
They come they come the long pine floats
Unchain the bridge, and
Lest by the raft so rudely driven,
The iron bolts be burst and riven, 5
They come, they come, careering fast,
The bridge is gained, the bridge is past,
Before the flashing foam they flee,
Toward the ocean rapidly
There firmly bound by builders care,
The rage of wave and wind to dare,
Or burst of battle shock to bear
Upon the boundless sea.
Along the broad and fierce Moselle.
And on the city, and distant mountain ridge,
Ruskin's line number
975And on the city, and the bridge,
So beautiful that stood,
System generated line number
5Tall tower and spire or gloomy fort,
Were made, and shattered in the sport,
Of that impetuous flood,
Ruskin's line number
980That on the one side washed the wall,
Of Gothic mansion fair and tall,
System generated line number
10And on the other side was seen,
Checked by broad meadows rich and green,
And scattering spray, that sparkling flew,
Ruskin's line number
985And fed the grass with constant dew.
With broader stream, and mightier wrath,
System generated line number
15The Rhine had chosen bolder path,
All, yielding to his forceful will,
Through basalt gorge, and rock ribbed hill,
Ruskin's line number
990Still flashed his deep right on.
It checked not at the battled pride
System generated line number
20Where Ehrenbreitstein walled his side,
Stretching across with giant stride
The mighty waves the rock deride,
Ruskin's line number
99568
And on the crag like armies ride,
Flinging the white foam far and wide
System generated line number
25Upon the rough grey stone.
Beneath the sweep of yon dark fell,
Join the two brothers, the Moselle,
Ruskin's line number
1000Greeting the Rhine in friendly guise, 1
To join his headlong current flies, 2
System generated line number
30Together down the rivers go,
Resistless oer their rocky foe,
As lovers joining hand in hand
Ruskin's line number
1005Toward the west beside their strand,
They rivers pass full
together
playfully,
System generated line number
35Like Allied armies mingled band,
Toward the east white whirls of sand,
The river
torrent
tosses by,
3
Ruskin's line number
1010The morning came, and rosy light b
Blushed oer the bastions and the height
System generated line number
40Where traitor never stood, 4
And
While
far beneath in misty nightThe waters wheeled their sullen flight,
Ruskin's line number
1015Till oer them far for many a rood,
The red sun scattered tinge of blood,
System generated line number
45Till ‸
Then
broadening into brighter dayOn the rich plain the lustre lay
And distant spire and village white
Ruskin's line number
1020Confessed the kiss of dawn
Still multiplying on the sight
Amid the forests shining bright
c
System generated line number
50As sunnier grew the morn,
We climbed the crag, we scaled the ridge,
On Coblentz looked adown,
Ruskin's line number
1025The tall red roofs the long white bridge,
And on the eyelike frown
System generated line number
55Of the portals of her palaces,
And on her peoples busy press,
There never was a fair
y
er
town
Ruskin's line number
1030Between two rivers as it lay
Whence morning mist was curling grey,
System generated line number
60On the plains edge, beside the hill
Oh it was lying calm and still
In mornings chastened glow,
Ruskin's line number
1035The multitudes were thronging by,
But we were dizzily on high,
System generated line number
65And we might not one murmur hear
Nor whisper tingling on the ear
From the far depth below.
Ruskin's line number
1040The bridge of boats, the bridge of boats, d
Across the hot tide how it floats,
System generated line number
70In one dark bending line,
For other bridge were swept away
Such shackle loveth not the play
Ruskin's line number
1045Of the impetuous Rhine,
The feeble bridge, that bends below,
System generated line number
75The tread of one weak man,
It yet can stem the forceful flow,
Which nought unyielding can,
Ruskin's line number
1050The bar of shingle stems the sea
The granite cliffs are worn away
System generated line number
80The bending reed can bear the blast,
When English oak were downward cast,
The bridge of boats the Rhine can chain,
Ruskin's line number
105569
Where strength of stone were all in vain,
Oh fast and faster on the stream,
System generated line number
85An island driveth down.
The Schwartzwald pine hath shed its green
But not at autumns frown.
Ruskin's line number
1060A sharper winter stripped them there,
The tall straight trunks are bald and bare,
System generated line number
90The peasant on some Alpine brow,
Hath cut the root and lopped the bough,
The eagle heard the echoing fall
Ruskin's line number
1065And soared away to his high eyrie,
The chamois gave his warning call
System generated line number
95And higher on the mountain tall
Pursued his way unweary,
They come they come the long pine floats
Ruskin's line number
1070Unchain the bridge, and
throw
loose the boats,Lest by the raft so rudely driven,
System generated line number
100The iron bolts be burst and riven, 5
They come, they come, careering fast,
The bridge is gained, the bridge is past,
Ruskin's line number
1075Before the flashing foam they flee,
Toward the ocean rapidly
System generated line number
105There firmly bound by builders care,
The rage of wave and wind to dare,
Or burst of battle shock to bear
Ruskin's line number
1080Upon the boundless sea.