Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Switzerland and Austria: Vol. XVI. 1876–79. | | | | Austria: Danube, the River | | The Wounded Hussar | | Thomas Campbell (1777–1844) |
| | | ALONE by the banks of the dark-rolling Danube | |
| Fair Adelaide hied when the battle was o’er: | |
| “O whither,” she cried, “hast thou wandered, my lover? | |
| Or here dost thou welter, and bleed on the shore? | |
| “What voice did I hear? ’T was my Henry that sighed!” | 5 |
| All mournful she hastened, nor wandered she far, | |
| When, bleeding and low, on the heath she descried, | |
| By the light of the moon, her poor wounded Hussar! | |
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| From his bosom that heaved the last torrent was streaming, | |
| And pale was his visage, deep marked with a scar; | 10 |
| And dim was that eye, once expressively beaming, | |
| That melted in love and that kindled in war! | |
| How smit was poor Adelaide’s heart at the sight! | |
| How bitter she wept o’er the victim of war! | |
| “Hast thou come, my fond Love, this last sorrowful night, | 15 |
| To cheer the lone heart of your wounded Hussar?” | |
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| “Thou shalt live,” she replied, “Heaven’s mercy, relieving | |
| Each anguishing wound, shall forbid me to mourn!” | |
| “Ah, no! the last pang in my bosom is heaving! | |
| No light of the morn shall to Henry return! | 20 |
| “Thou charmer of life, ever tender and true; | |
| Ye babes of my love that await me afar!”— | |
| His faltering tongue scarce could murmur adieu, | |
| When he sunk in her arms,—the poor wounded Hussar! | | | | |
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