When the knight’s bold war-cry hath sunk in prayer,
And the spear is a broken reed!
—Hush! did a breeze through the armour sigh?
Did the folds of the banner shake?
Not so!—from the tomb’s dark mystery
There seem’d a voice to break!
He had heard that voice bid clarions blow,
He had caught its last blessing’s breath—
’Twas the same—but its awful sweetness now
Had an under-tone of death!