Classic and Contemporary Poetry
WATER OF HUNGARY, by CHARLES GODFREY LELAND Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The beautiful queen of hungary Last Line: To the sainted queen elsa of hungary. Alternate Author Name(s): Breitmann, Hans Subject(s): Hungary | ||||||||
THE beautiful Queen of Hungary, A sad and weary woman was she, Since for many weeks a terrible pain Seemed burning and darting through her brain. Long were the nights, for little she slept; Longer the days, for all day she wept; Wretched as woman with pain could be Was the beautiful Queen of Hungary. Nothing at all could the doctors do, Though they searched their folios through and through; And the wonder was, as the weeks went by, That of such torment she did not die. But her Majesty had a will of her own, And a brave little heart as ever was known, And very determined to live was she, The beautiful Queen of Hungary. Finding all pharmacy false and fair, Her Majesty took to penance and prayer. "Blessed Otilia, aid me!" she cried; "Sweet Juliana, be thou my guide!" For these are the saints who the Church has said Should be called upon for a pain in the head, So she went to them for a remedy, -- The beautiful Queen of Hungary. Long she prayed, till at length it seemed That though still waking and praying she dreamed. All around shone a living light Of angels in angels gleaming bright, A glory of faces in all the air, Each blended of faces still more fair, And rapt in this radiant mystery Was the beautiful Queen of Hungary. But where the splendor brightest shone Two fairer figures stood gazing down On the suffering Queen with a loving air, The two she had called on in her prayer; O, the fondest lover has never known Such beauty in her he would call his own, And on earth such light you could never see As shone on the Queen of Hungary. Saint Juliana the silence broke, And thus to the kneeling lady spoke: "Long hast thou suffered, -- 't is time to know The pleasure which comes when torments go. Mary the Mother is Rose of Heaven, -- By the Rosa Mystica life is given; Take, in her name, of rosemary, O penitent Queen of Hungary! "Then of Melissa, the honeyed balm, Which soothed of old the martyr's qualm, Spirit of rose from the garden bower, Of fresh sweet mint and the orange-flower, Blended together these scents give forth The freshest fragrance known on earth; And since it was first revealed to thee, They shall call it the water of Hungary." the heavenly recipe was tried With great success, and far and wide Men boasted much of its power to cure, And said that in headaches 't was ever sure. With time some changes o'er it came, Till at last they changed its very name, Yet 't is true enough, and to many known, That this was the first of Eau de Cologne, So whenever you use it grateful be To the sainted Queen Elsa of Hungary. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MUSIC OF HUNGARY by ANNE REEVE ALDRICH SONNET TO THE HUNGARIAN NATION by MATTHEW ARNOLD THE SONG OF WILLI by MATHILDE BLIND THE CURSE OF HUNGARY by JOHN MILTON HAY ROMANCERO: BOOK 2. LAMENTATIONS: LAZARUS. 16. IN OCTOBER 1849 by HEINRICH HEINE WAR-SONG OF THE MAGYARS; A BATTLE SHOUT FOR HUNGARY by SARA JANE CLARKE LIPPINCOTT ALEXANDER YPSILANTI by KARL WILHELM MULLER THE BALLAD OF SPLENDID SILENCE; IN MEMORIAM FERENCZ RENYL by EDITH BLAND NESBIT A BALLAD OF CHARITY by CHARLES GODFREY LELAND |
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