第 14 节
作者:闪啊闪      更新:2023-08-28 11:48      字数:9322
  XXXIV
  ‘‘By  many  names   men   call   us;         In   many  lands   we   dwell: Well
  Samothracia   knows   us;           Cyrene   knows   us   well。   Our   house   in   gay
  Tarentum           Is hung each morn with flowers: High o'er the masts of
  Syracuse            Our    marble   portal  towers;   But   by  the  proud   Eurotas
  Is our dear native home; And for the right we come to fight                  Before
  the ranks of Rome。''
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  Lays of Ancient Rome
  XXV
  So answered those strange horsemen;                   And each couched low his
  spear; And forthwith all the ranks of Rome                    Were bold; and of good
  cheer:   And   on   the   thirty   armies         Came   wonder   and   affright;   And
  Ardea  wavered   on   the  left;           And   Cora  on   the   right。  ‘‘Rome  to   the
  charge!''   cried   Aulus;          ‘‘The   foe   begins   to   yield!   Charge   for   the
  hearth of Vesta!             Charge for the Golden Shield! Let no man stop to
  plunder;           But   slay;   and   slay;   and   slay;   The   gods   who   live   forever
  Are on our side to…day。''
  XXXVI
  Then   the   fierce   trumpet…flourish            From   earth   to   heaven   arose;
  The   kites   know   well   the   long   stern   swell         That   bids   the   Romans
  close。 Then the good sword of Aulus                     Was lifted up to slay; Then;
  like   a   crag   down Apennine;            Rushed   Auster   through   the   fray。   But
  under those strange horsemen                  Still thicker lay the slain; And after
  those    strange   horses           Black     Auster   toiled   in  vain。  Behind     them
  Rome's long battle              Came rolling on the foe; Ensigns dancing wild
  above;           Blades   all   in   line   below。   So   comes   the   Po   in   flood…time
  Upon      the   Celtic   plain;    So   comes     the   squall;   blacker    than    night;
  Upon the Adrian main。 Now; by our Sire Quirinus;                        It was a goodly
  sight To see the thirty standards                Swept down the tide of flight。 So
  flies the spray of Adria              When the black squall doth blow So corn…
  sheaves in the flood…time               Spin down the whirling Po。 False Sextus
  to   the   mountains            Turned      first  his  horse's   head;   And    fast  fled
  Ferentinum;             And fast   Lanuvium fled。 The  horsemen of   Nomentus
  Spurred hard out of the fray; The footmen of Velitr*                       Threw shield
  and spear away。 And underfoot was trampled;                       Amidst the mud and
  gore;  The   banner   of   proud   Tusculum;             That   never   stooped   before:
  And down   went   Flavius   Faustus;               Who   led   his   stately  ranks   From
  where   the    apple   blossoms     wave           On    Anio's   echoing    banks;    And
  Tullus of Arpinum;               Chief of the Volscian aids; And Metius with the
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  long fair curls;            The love of Anxur's maids; And the white head of
  Vulso;           The great Arician seer; And Nepos of Laurentum                        The
  hunter   of   the   deer;   And   in   the   back   false   Sextus        Felt   the   good
  Roman      steel;  And    wriggling     in  the  dust   he  died;         Like     a  worm
  beneath the wheel: And fliers and pursuers                   Were mingled in a mass;
  And far away the battle               Went roaring through the pass。
  XXXVII
  Semponius Atratinus                Sat in the Eastern Gate; Beside him were
  three Fathers;            Each   in   his   chair of state;   Fabius;   whose nine stout
  grandsons             That   day  were   in   the   field; And   Manlius;   eldest   of   the
  Twelve            Who keep the Golden Shield; And Sergius; the High Pontiff;
  For   wisdom   far   renowned;   In   all   Etruria's   colleges           Was   no   such
  Pontiff found。 And all around the portal;                   And high above the wall;
  Stood a great throng of people;                  But sad and silent all; Young lads
  and stooping elders              That might not bear the mail; Matrons with lips
  that quivered;            And maids with faces pale。 Since the first gleam of
  daylight;            Sempronius       had   not   ceased    To  listen   for  the  rushing
  Of horse…hoofs from the east。 The mist of eve was rising;                         The sun
  was   hastening   down;   When   he   was   aware   of   a   princely   pair          Fast
  pricking towards the town。 So like they were; man never                        Saw twins
  so like before; Red with gore their armor was;                   Their steeds were red
  with gore。
  XXXVIII
  ‘‘Hail to the great Asylum!                Hail to the hill…tops seven! Hail to
  the   fire   that   burns   for   aye;      And   the   shield   that   fell   from   heaven!
  This   day;   by   Lake   Regillus;          Under   the   Porcian   height;  All   in   the
  lands   of   Tusculum             Was   fought   a   glorious   fight。   Tomorrow   your
  Dictator           Shall   bring   in   triumph   home   The   spoils   of   thirty   cities
  To deck the shrines of Rome!''
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  Lays of Ancient Rome
  XXXIX
  Then   burst   from   that   great   concourse          A  shout   that   shook   the
  towers; And some ran north; and some ran south;                      Crying;‘‘The day
  is ours!'' But on rode these strange horsemen;                  With slow and lordly
  pace; And none who saw their bearing                   Durst ask their name or race。
  On rode they to the Forum;                While laurel…boughs and flowers; From
  house…tops      and  from    windows;            Fell   on   their  crests  in  showers。
  When   they   drew   nigh   to   Vesta;           They   vaulted   down   amain;   And
  washed their horses in the well                 That springs by Vesta's fane。 And
  straight again they mounted;                And rode to Vesta's door; Then; like a
  blast; away they passed;              And no man saw them more。
  XL
  And all the people trembled;                And pale grew every cheek; And
  Sergius   the   High   Pontiff          Alone   found   voice   to   speak:   ‘‘The   gods
  who live forever             Have fought for Rome to…day! These be the Great
  Twin Brethren              To whom the Dorians pray。 Back comes the chief in
  triumph;            Who;     in  the  hour   of  fight;  Hath   seen   the   Great   Twin
  Brethren            In   harness   on   his   right。   Safe   comes   the   ship   to   haven;
  Through      billows   and   through    gales;   If  once  the   Great   Twin   Brethren
  Sit   shining   on   the   sails。   Wherefore   they   washed   their   horses         In
  Vesta's holy well; Wherefore they rode to Vesta's door;                     I know; but
  may not tell。 Here; hard by Vesta's temple;                 Build we a stately dome
  Unto the Great Twin Brethren                  Who fought so well for Rome。 And
  when the months returning                 Bring back this day of fight; The proud
  Ides    of  Quintilis;         Marked      evermore     with   white;  Unto    the  Great
  Twin   Brethren            Let   all   the   people   throng;   With   chaplets   and   with
  offerings;            With     music    and   with   song;   And    let  the  doors    and
  windows               Be    hung    with   garlands    all;  And   let  the  knights    be
  summoned               To   Mars    without    the  wall:   Thence    let  them   ride   in
  purple           With joyous trumpet…sound; Each mounted on his war…horse;
  And each with olive crowned; And pass in solemn order                        Before the
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  sacred dome; Where dwell the Great Twin Brethren                           Who fought so
  well for Rome。''
  Virginia
  A   collection    consisting     exclusively     of  war…songs      would     give   an
  imperfect;   or   rather   an   erroneous;   notion   of   the   spirit   of   the   old   Latin
  ballads。 The Patrici