THE REBEL

Thereis a wall of which the stonesAre lies and bribes and dead men’s bones.And wrongfully this evil wallDenies what all men made for all,And shamelessly this wall surroundsOur homesteads and our native grounds.But I will gather and I will ride,And I will summon a countryside,And many a man shall hear my halloaWho never had thought the horn to follow;And many a man shall ride with meWho never had thought on earth to seeHigh Justice in her armoury.When we find them where they stand,A mile of men on either hand,I mean to charge from right awayAnd force the flanks of their array,And press them inward from the plains,And drive them clamouring down the lanes,And gallop and harry and have them down,And carry the gates and hold the town.Then shall I rest me from my rideWith my great anger satisfied.Only, before I eat and drink,When I have killed them all, I thinkThat I will batter their carven names,And slit the pictures in their frames,And burn for scent their cedar door,And melt the gold their women wore,And hack their horses at the knees,And hew to death their timber trees,And plough their gardens deep and through—And all these things I mean to doFor fear perhaps my little sonShould break his hands, as I have done.

Thereis a wall of which the stones

Are lies and bribes and dead men’s bones.

And wrongfully this evil wall

Denies what all men made for all,

And shamelessly this wall surrounds

Our homesteads and our native grounds.

But I will gather and I will ride,And I will summon a countryside,And many a man shall hear my halloaWho never had thought the horn to follow;And many a man shall ride with meWho never had thought on earth to seeHigh Justice in her armoury.

But I will gather and I will ride,

And I will summon a countryside,

And many a man shall hear my halloa

Who never had thought the horn to follow;

And many a man shall ride with me

Who never had thought on earth to see

High Justice in her armoury.

When we find them where they stand,A mile of men on either hand,I mean to charge from right awayAnd force the flanks of their array,And press them inward from the plains,And drive them clamouring down the lanes,And gallop and harry and have them down,And carry the gates and hold the town.Then shall I rest me from my rideWith my great anger satisfied.

When we find them where they stand,

A mile of men on either hand,

I mean to charge from right away

And force the flanks of their array,

And press them inward from the plains,

And drive them clamouring down the lanes,

And gallop and harry and have them down,

And carry the gates and hold the town.

Then shall I rest me from my ride

With my great anger satisfied.

Only, before I eat and drink,When I have killed them all, I thinkThat I will batter their carven names,And slit the pictures in their frames,And burn for scent their cedar door,And melt the gold their women wore,And hack their horses at the knees,And hew to death their timber trees,And plough their gardens deep and through—And all these things I mean to doFor fear perhaps my little sonShould break his hands, as I have done.

Only, before I eat and drink,

When I have killed them all, I think

That I will batter their carven names,

And slit the pictures in their frames,

And burn for scent their cedar door,

And melt the gold their women wore,

And hack their horses at the knees,

And hew to death their timber trees,

And plough their gardens deep and through—

And all these things I mean to do

For fear perhaps my little son

Should break his hands, as I have done.

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