Classic Poem

Of Edenhall the youthful lord
Bade summon the guests by trumpet's call;
He rises at the festive board,
And, 'midst the drunken revellers all,
Cries: " Bring me the Luck of Edenhall! " .

The steward sighs at his lord's command;
(The oldest vassal was he of all);
From its silken case with careful hand
He taketh the crystal goblet tall —
They call it the " Luck of Edenhall " .

" To honour this glass " — was the next command —
" Come fill it with wine of Portugal! "
The old man pours with tembling hand,
And purple light streams over all
From the sparkling Luck of Edenhall.

Then speaks the lord, and the glass doth wave:
" This gleaming goblet of crystal tall
A water-sprite to my fathers gave,
And wrote thereon — If this glass should fall ,
Farewell to the luck of Edenhall!

'Twas fitting a glass o'er the fate should reign
Of the mirthful race of Edenhall!
The full deep draughts we gladly drain,
While merrily clink the beakers tall;
Come, clink with the Luck of Edenhall! "

First, full as the song of the nightingale,
Its ring on the ear doth clearly fall;
Then loud as the torrent that sweeps the vale,
And last, like the deafening thunder's brawl,
The matchless Luck of Edenhall!

" It taketh a race of mickle might
This fragile goblet to hold in thrall;
It hath lasted longer than seemeth right;
Then cling! with the hardest blow of all
Will I prove the Luck of Edenhall! "

As the ringing goblet in pieces flies,
Cracked is the roof of the vaulted hall;
Bright flames of death from the rift arise;
Dashed to the earth are the feasters all
As breaketh the Luck of Edenhall!

In storms the foe, with fire and sword,
Who in the night had scaled the wall;
By the sword-stroke dieth the youthful lord,
His hand still holding the beaker tall,
The shattered Luck of Edenhall.

Early at morn the butler came,
The old man, to the ruined hall;
Alone he seeketh his lord's burnt frame;
And, 'midst the hideous ruin's fall,
The shards of the Luck of Edenhall.

" Stone walls " — saith he — " must in pieces go,
The lofty pillar at last must fall;
Of glass is this world's wealth and show;
One day in atoms this earthly ball
Must burst, like the Luck of Edenhall! "