Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE BALLAD OF KING RAMESES, by MARGARET LOUISA WOODS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE BALLAD OF KING RAMESES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: King rameses marched to the northward, to the
Last Line: It lighted the field, and in kadesh was nowhere to tread for the slain.
Alternate Author Name(s): Woods, Mrs. Margaret Louisa Bradley
Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers; Rameses Ii, King Of Egypt


From the ancient Poem of Pentaur, the Egyptian scribe.

KING RAMESES marched to the Northward, to the borders of Kadesh he came,
He marched like his father Mentu for Orontes that waters the same
With the troop that has "Victory Bringer" and the name of the King for its name.

But ere he was come to the city the Vile One of Khita arose,
From the shores of the sea unto Khita he summoned King Rameses' foes,
They gathered as grasshoppers gather, like locusts assembled they lay
And covered the mountains and valleys, and no man was left by the way.
There led them the lord of the Khita and bore with him treasures untold,
He emptied the realm of its treasure, he stript it of silver and gold.
Like sand were the men and the horses, he had gathered them all to the war!
The well-armed champions of Khita stood three upon every car.
Countless they crouched in their ambush, they were hidden west of the town.
They rushed on the troop of the sun-god, and horse and foot went down.
Yea, unawares they had smitten the host of the King and possessed
Kadesh that lies by Orontes, on the bank of the stream to the West.

King Rameses heard and he armed him, like Mentu he rose in his pow'r,
He seized his arms for the battle, he clutched them like Bar in his hour,
And swift from their stalls in the vanguard, from the stable of Rameses came
His steeds that were mighty to bear him—"Victory in Thebes" was their name.

Fast, fast in his fury he drave them, he brake through the ranks of the foe,
The King he alone and none other, then he turned to behold them, and lo!
The chariots of Khita by thousands had compassed him round and there lay
The hosts of the Vile One of Khita as a bar in King Rameses' way;
The tribes of the sea and the mountain, the numberless nations from far,
And the bravest champions of Khita stood three upon every car.

"Was there one of my chariots with me? Of my captains and lords was there one?
Nay, but they fled from the battle, and Pharaoh remained there alone."
Then Rameses cried unto Ammon: "Deniest thou, father, thy son?
Wherein have I sinned against Ammon, what deed without him have I done?
Are the monuments vain I have made thee? For nought was the sacrifice slain?
The thousands of bulls for thine altars and captives in throngs for thy fane,
And lands hast thou counted as nothing? and treasures as utterly vain?
All odorous woods I have brought thee, the incense was sweet in my hand.
I finished thy courts, and thy gateways of stone overshadow the land,
With masts I adorned thee the portals, 'tis I who have brought unto thee
The obelisks hewn at Syene, and galleys that bear o'er the sea
The wealth of the world to thine altars, the hand of King Rameses steers—
I have given thee stone everlasting, a house for a million of years.
Such gifts were they given aforetime? Of old hast thou witnessed the same?
On him who rejecteth thy counsels, on him be confusion and shame,
But I who have honoured thee, Ammon, my father I call on thy name.
The multitudes gather against me, I stand amid nations unknown,
I stand here alone with no other, they are many and I am alone.
My chariots and horsemen have left me, they heeded me not when I cried,
But better than millions of horsemen, ay better than sons at my side,
And more than a thousand of brothers though marshalled about me they fought,
Is Ammon who maketh the labour of multitudes even as nought.
Behold it is thou that hast done it, I blame not thy counsels, I cry
To the ends of the earth, I invoke thee!"

The house of Hermonthis on high
Re-echoed the voice of my crying, he heard and he came like the wind,
I shouted for joy at his coming, as hastening he called from behind;
"It is I, it is Ammon thy father, I am eager to help thee, my son,
The lord and the lover of heroes, I am Ra the victorious one.
My heart has rejoiced in thy valour, I stretch forth my hand to the fray,
And better than millions of horsemen shall Ammon befriend thee to-day."
He spake and the word was accomplished. Like Mentu I shoot to the right,
I grasp to the left in my fury, I break them as Bar in his might.
Two thousand five hundred the chariots, I see them, they shall not withstand,
I am there in the midst with my horses, I trample them as it were sand.
They found not their hands for the battle, amazement befell them and fear,
They slackened the bowstring before me, they knew not to handle the spear;
Yea, one on another I hurled them and headlong they fell in the flood,
As crocodiles fall in the river so fell they, I drank of their blood.

King Rameses said, "'Tis my pleasure that none shall return from the fight,
Not one shall arise of the fallen, nor any look back unto flight."
And there was the Vile One of Khita, he stood 'mid his legions to see;
Beholding the valour of Pharaoh he trembled, he turned him to flee.
The King was alone. Then he mustered his bravest and sent them to slay
King Rameses, numberless horsemen assembled in battle array.

I say to my hand, "Thou shalt taste them," and, lo, in a moment of space
I spring like a flame to devour them—they perish each one in his place.
I hear through the wind of my rushing how one of them cries to the other,
"Not a man, not a man is against us, beware of the god, O my brother!
The mighty have seen him and straightway their arrows have dropped from the bow,

They lift not a hand when he cometh, his countenance layeth them low.
Like Ra in the front of the morning his quiver is laden with flame,
'Tis Sechet consumes us before him, 'tis Bar that possesses his frame."

Like a griffin the King has pursued them, they come to the meeting of ways.
They flee but they cannot escape him, he calls to his men as he slays,
"Ho, courage my horsemen and footmen! Look back for a little and see
How I conquer alone with no other but Ammon that fighteth for me."
My charioteer, even Menna, was with me and he was afraid,
In the press of the chariots he trembled, his spirit was greatly dismayed.
"O Prince and protector of Egypt! O gracious and mighty!" he saith,
"Thou fightest alone against many, how now canst thou save us our breath?
King Rameses, gracious and mighty, we cannot escape from our death."
But Rameses cried to him, "Courage, ho, courage, my charioteer!
Behold, as a hawk I will pierce them and rend them. Why then shouldst thou fear?

And what to thy heart are these herdsmen, since Ra will not brighten his face,
On millions of such? The ungodly! He loveth to humble their race."
King Rameses rushed on the vanguard, he brake through the ranks of the foe,
Six times he has sundered and broken the ranks of the Khita and low
He has laid them, the caitiffs of Khita, they trembled before him and quailed,
They fled but they could not escape him, like Bar in his hour he prevailed.

And now when my horsemen and footmen beheld me they worshipped afar,
They praised me as Mentu the mighty, the sword unresisted of Ra;
For the god, yea, the god, was beside me, 'twas he who had brought it to pass
That nations were scattered before me and were to my horses as grass.
They marched from the camp in the evening, they came in their wonder and stood
Where I brake through the tribes and the mighty of Khita lay whelmed in their
blood,
The sons of the chief and the kinsfolk—and morning arose on the plain,
It lighted the field, and in Kadesh was nowhere to tread for the slain.





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