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HERMANN AND THUSNELDA, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Ha! There comes he, with sweat, with blood of romans
Last Line: Follow, and mourn him no more!
Subject(s): War


HA! there comes he, with sweat, with blood of
Romans,
And dust of the fight all stained! Oh, never
Saw I Hermann so lovely!
Never such fire in his eyes!

Come! I tremble for joy; hand me the Eagle
And the red dripping sword! come, breathe, and
rest thee;
Rest thee here in my bosom;
Rest from the terrible fight!

Rest thee, while from thy brow I wipe the big
drops,
And the blood from thy cheek! -- that cheek, how
glowing!
Hermann! Hermann! Thusnelda
Never so loved thee before!

No, not then, when thou first in old oak shadows,
With that manly brown arm didst wildly grasp
me!
Spell-bound I read in thy look
That immortality then

Which thou now hast won. Tell to the forests,
Great Augustus, with trembling, amidst his gods
now,
Drinks his nectar; for Hermann,
Hermann immortal is found!

"Wherefore curl'st thou my hair? Lies not our
father
Cold and silent in death? Oh, had Augustus
Only headed his army, --
He should lie bloodier there!"

Let me lift up thy hair; 't is sinking, Hermann:
Proudly thy locks should curl above the crown
now!
Sigmar is with the immortals!
Follow, and mourn him no more!




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