LXXII. Childe Harold at a little distance stood And view'd, but not displeased, the revelrie, Nor hated harmless mirth, however rude: In sooth, it was no vulgar sight to see Their barbarous, yet their not indecent, glee; And, as the flames along their faces gleam'd, Their gestures nimble, dark eyes flashing free, The long wild locks that to their girdles stream'd, While thus in concert they this lay half sang, half scream'd:-- SONG. TAMBOURGI! Tambourgi!* thy 'larum afar 2 Oh! who is more brave than a dark Suliote, To the wolf and the vulture he leaves his wild flock, 3 Shall the sons of Chimari, who never forgive Let those guns so unerring such vengeance forego? G* *Drummer. 4 Macedonia sends forth her invincible race; 5 Then the pirates of Parga that dwell by the waves, And teach the pale Franks what it is to be slaves, Shall leave on the beach the long galley and oar, And track to his covert the captive on shore. 6 I ask not the pleasures that riches supply, My sabre shall win what the feeble must buy; Shall win the young bride with her long flowing hair, And many a maid from her mother shall tear. 7 I love the fair face of the maid in her youth, Her caresses shall lull me, her music shall soothe ; Let her bring from the chamber her many-toned lyre, And sing us a song on the fall of her sire. 8 Remember the moment when Previsa fell, The shrieks of the conquer'd, the conquerors' yell; The roofs that we fired, and the plunder we shared, The wealthy we slaughter'd, the lovely we spared. 9 I talk not of mercy, I talk not of fear; He neither must know who would serve the Vizier : Since the days of our prophet the Crescent ne'er saw A chief ever glorious like Ali Pashaw. 10 Dark Muchtar his son to the Danube is sped, Let the yellow-hair'd* Giaourst view his horsetail‡ with dread; When his Delhis§ come dashing in blood o'er the banks, How few shall escape from the Muscovite ranks ! 11 Selictar! | unsheathe then our chief's scimitar : LXXIII. Fair Greece! sad relic of departed worth! Leap from Eurotas' banks, and call thee from the tomb? *Yellow is the epithet given to the Russians. † Infidel. Horse-tails are the insignia of a Pacha. Horsemen, answering to our forlorn hope. Sword-bearer. LXXIV. Spirit of freedom! when on Phyle's brow Trembling beneath the scourge of Turkish hand, LXXV. In all save form alone, how changed! and who Or tear their name defiled from Slavery's mournful page. LXXVI. Hereditary bondsmen! know ye not Who would be free themselves must strike the blow? By their right arms the conquest must be wrought? Will Gaul or Muscovite redress ye? no! True, they may lay your proud despoilers low, But not for you will Freedom's altars flame. Shades of the Helots! triumph o'er your foe! Greece! change thy lords, thy state is still the same; Thy glorious day is o'er, but not thine years of shame. LXXVII. The city won for Allah from the Giaour, The Giaour from Othman's race again may wrest; And the Serai's impenetrable tower Receive the fiery Frank, her former guest; Or Wahab's rebel brood who dared divest The prophet's tomb of all its pious spoil, But slave succeed to slave through years of endless toil. LXXVIII. Yet mark their mirth-ere lenten days begin LXXIX. And whose more rife with merriment than thine, |