CCIII

τίκτει τοι κόρος ὕβριν

Deus, parentes quem bene noverant nostri secutum praelia in ultimos orbis recessus, quo minores,

quem veriti, moderamur amplo pinusque palmasque imperio, Deus nobis adesto bellipotens adhuc adiutor, oblitis Tuorum

gratia ne pereat bonorum!

dormit tumultus, clamor; abit ducum regumque coetus: stant tamen haec Tibi accepta, quae semper, colentum fassa suam pia corda culpam. tutela praesens, nos memores Tui serva! coactarum undique classium cedunt relabentes carinae,

colle super scopuloque pressi
conduntur ignes: vanuit, occidit
hesterna pompae lux, veluti Tyros
iam nulla, deletaeque turres
Assyriae. metuende Iudex,
o parce genti huic parce superstiti!
et forte tanti si quibus imperi
spectata maiestas solutam
moverit ebrietate linguam
nec Te verentem vanius eloqui-
qualis profani dicta superbiae
spargunt et insani profundunt,
vile genus, sine lege vulgus,
adsiste bellorum arbiter, et potens
audaciorum pectora corrigas
vi freta ballistae minacis
fumivoma, teretique ferro.

pulvis caduco in pulvere quid struit ?
custode custos quid sine Te, Deus?
Tu, stulta si iactarit amens,
Alme, Tuae miserere gentis!

CCIV

BRIDGE-GUARD IN THE KARROO

"and will supply details to guard the Blood River Bridge." District Orders-Lines of Communication.

Sudden the desert changes—

The raw glare softens and clings,
Till the aching Oudtshoorn ranges
Stand up like the thrones of kings-

Ramparts of slaughter and peril—
Blazing, amazing-aglow
'Twixt the sky-line's belting beryl
And the wine-dark flats below.

Royal the pageant closes,

Lit by the last of the sun-
Opal and ash-of-roses,

Cinnamon, umber and dun.

The twilight swallows the thicket,
The starlight reveals the ridge;
The whistle shrills to the picket

We are changing guard on the bridge.

(Few, forgotten and lonely,

Where the empty metals shine-
No, not combatants-only
Details guarding the line.)

We slip through the broken panel
Of fence by the ganger's shed—
We drop to the waterless channel
And the lean track overhead :

We stumble on refuse of rations-
The beef and the biscuit tins--
We take our appointed stations
And the endless night begins.

We hear the Hottentot herders

As the sheep click past to the fold-
And the click of the restless girders
As the steel contracts in the cold-

CCIV

NOS NUMERUS SUMUS

En! subito speciem loca mutant arida; crudum mitescit nebula dissoluente iubar.

tosta rigent fervore cacumina; quisque sub auras
ceu solium sternat regibus, exstat apex.

an rubet hic caedes? an dira pericula clivos
saxaque puniceo tacta colore notant ?
hinc quasi beryllo montes praetexuit aether,
hinc vino tingi subdita rura putes.
regia iamque trahit supremos pompa nitores,
extremas Phoebo sufficiente faces.

en! ferrugineo sublucent cinnama fuco;
dixeris in cineres hic abiisse rosas.
involvunt tenebris offusa crepuscula dumos,
ostentant rigidum sidera clara iugum.
invocat excubias arguto fistula cantu;
pons aliis aequa sorte tenendus erit.

quis meminit, si parva cohors sit iussa relinqui,
qua vacua lucet ferrea lamna via ?

qui sumus? anne rogas? non bella capessimus: unus hic labor, ut tutum constituamus iter. deferimur lento per hiantes agmine palos, principis hic tectum squalet inane fabrum; his trames super impositus datur, alveus illis cura; caret trames frugibus, amnis aqua. offendunt late proiecta cibaria plantas;

carne boum nuper plena canistra iacent. cuique sua est statio: cuique in statione parata incipit aeternas nox trahere aegra moras. pastores audimus ubi labor occupat Afros, dum crepitu adsiduo grex in ovile redit. nec minus adsiduo crepitu via ferrea plangit, iuncturas ferri corripiente gelu.

Voices of jackals calling

And, loud in the hush between, A morsel of dry earth falling

From the flanks of the scarred ravine.

And the solemn firmament marches
And the hosts of heaven rise
Framed through the iron arches—
Banded and barred by the ties.

Till we hear the far track humming,
And we see her headlight plain,
And we gather and wait her coming—
The wonderful north-bound train.

(Few, forgotten and lonely

Where the white car-windows shineNo, not combatants-only

Details guarding the line.)

Quick, ere the gift escape us,
Out of the darkness we reach
For a handful of week-old papers
And a mouthful of human speech!
And the monstrous heaven rejoices,
And the earth allows again,
Meetings, greetings, and voices
Of women talking with men.

So we return to our places,

As out on the bridge she rolls;

And the darkness covers our faces,

And the darkness re-enters our souls.

More than a little lonely

Where the lessening tail-lights shine. Nc-not combatants-only

Details guarding the line!

Rudyard Kipling.

alternis vulpes respondent vulpibus :-audin ! qui tacitae noctis rumpit opaca fragor? particulam glebae frigus deiecerat :—illa praecipitans scabrae vallis ad ima cadit. interea caeli incedit mirabilis ordo,

surgunt aetherii milia multa chori.

prospicimus, pontis quantum intervalla, trabesque
connexae trabibus, crebra fenestra, sinunt.
attentas donec fertur grave murmur ad aures,
atque oculis rerum nuntia flamma micat.
erigimur: Boreae partes longo ordine raedae
quippe petunt: trepidum volgus hiansque coit.
parva manus deserta suis et cognita nulli
adstat, ubi clara luce fenestra nitet.

qui sumus ? arma quidem tractantibus additur unus
hic labor, ut tutum constituamus iter.
ilicet e tenebris, careant ne munere raro,
porrigimus cupidas, anxia turba, manus.
arripimus chartas, olim quibus acta legamus,
humanae vocis quod licet arripimus.
sed spatia immensi gaudent horrentia caeli,
laetitiaeque parum prodiga terra sinit

complexus iunctasque manus, et murmura vocis
femineae duris consociata viris.

inde vale dicto quisque in loca iussa revertit,
dum presso instantes pons capit orbe rotas.
nox iterum vultus operit caligine, mentes
nox desolatas non minus atra subit.

dumque recedentes vix monstrant ultima currus
lumina, pectoribus frigidus horror inest.

nam numerus sumus: arma licet tractare, sed unus hic labor, ut tutum constituamus iter.

LIBRARY

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