The Demon / Демон. Книга для чтения на английском языке

But now the bridegroom, overbold,

Forgot his forefathers of old

And, by perfidious dreams misled

Of how, beneath the cloak of night,

He would embrace his bride, instead

Of holding by their pious rite

He yielded to the Demon's will

Seduced by turbid thoughts – until

Two figures – then a shot – ahead

What was it? Rising in his stirrups

Cramming his high hat on his brow

The gallant lover, at the gallop,

Plunged like a hawk upon his foe!

No word he spoke, his whip cracked once

And once blazed forth his Turkish gun…

Another shot.

Goes thundering on. The groans behind

Long echoes in the valley find…

Not long the fight. Of timorous mind,

The Georgians turn and run!

XII

Now all is silence; sadly huddled

The camels stand and stare befuddled

Upon their erstwhile master – man,

Lying dead amongst these silent fells.

The only sound their harness bells,

Ravaged and robbed their caravan;

And see, the owl flies softly round

The Christian bodies on the ground!

No peaceful tomb beneath the stones

Of some old church will take these bones

Like those in which their fathers lie;

Mothers nor sisters will not come

In their long floating veils to cry

Over these graves so far from home!

Instead, by zealous hands, a cross

Was raised to mark the dreadful loss

Just where the road hugs close the sheer

And towering cliff-wall, close to where

They perished in the raid…

And ivy, growing lush in spring,

An emerald net about it flings…

Here, weary of the toilsome road,

The traveller yet lays down his load

To rest in God's good shade…

XIII

Swift as a stag still runs the horse

Snorting as though he held his course

In some fierce charge, now plunging on

Now pulling up as though to harken

His nostrils flared to sniff the wind:

Then leaps up and comes ringing down

On all four hooves, sets sparking

The stones and, in his mad career,

His tangled mane streams out behind.

A silent rider he does bear

Who lurches forward now and then

To rest his head in that wild mane.