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| WHEN Emperor Redbeard with his band | |
| Came marching through the Holy Land, | |
| He had to lead, the way to seek, | |
| His noble force o’er mountains bleak. | |
| Of bread there rose a painful need, | 5 |
| Though stones were plentiful indeed, | |
| And many a German rider fine | |
| Forgot the taste of mead and wine. | |
| The horses drooped from meagre fare, | |
| The rider had to hold his mare. | 10 |
| There was a knight from Suabian land | |
| Of noble build and mighty hand; | |
| His little horse was faint and ill, | |
| He dragged it by the bridle still: | |
| His steed he never would forsake, | 15 |
| If his own life should be at stake. | |
| And so the horseman had to stay | |
| Behind his band a little way. | |
| Then all at once, right in his course, | |
| Pranced fifty Turkish men on horse. | 20 |
| And straight a swarm of arrows flew, | |
| Their spears as well the riders threw. | |
| Our Suabian brave felt no dismay, | |
| And calmly marched along his way. | |
| His shield was stuck with arrows o’er, | 25 |
| He sneered and looked about—no more; | |
| Till one, whom all this pastime bored, | |
| Above him swung a crooked sword. | |
| The German’s blood begins to boil, | |
| He aims the Turkish steed to foil, | 30 |
| And off he knocks with hit so neat | |
| The Turkish charger’s two fore-feet. | |
| And now that he has felled the horse, | |
| He grips his sword with double force | |
| And swings it on the rider’s crown | 35 |
| And splits him to the saddle down: | |
| He hews the saddle into bits, | |
| And e’en the charger’s back he splits. | |
| See, falling to the right and left, | |
| Half of a Turk that has been cleft! | 40 |
| The others shudder at the sight | |
| And hie away in frantic flight, | |
| And each one feels with gruesome dread | |
| That he is split through trunk and head. | |
| A band of Christians, left behind, | 45 |
| Came down the road, his work to find: | |
| And they admired, one by one, | |
| The deed our hero bold had done. | |
| From these the Emperor heard it all, | |
| And bade his men the Suabian call, | 50 |
| Then spake: “Who taught thee, honoured knight, | |
| With hits like those you dealt, to fight?” | |
| Our hero said without delay: | |
| “These hits are just the Suabian way: | |
| Throughout the realm all men admit, | 55 |
| The Suabians always make a hit.” | |
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