StoryTitle("caps", "Song of Marion's Men") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Our band is few, but true and tried, our leader frank and bold;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The British soldier trembles when Marion's name is told;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Our fortress is the good greenwood, our tent the cypress tree;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "We know the forest round us, as seamen know the sea.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "We know its walls of thorny vines, its glades of reedy grass,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Its safe and silent islands within the dark morass.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Woe to the English soldiery that little dread us near!", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "On them shall light at midnight a strange and sudden fear;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "When, waking to their tents on fire, they grasp their arms in vain,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And they who stand to face us are beat to earth again;", "") ?>
PagePoem(111, "L0", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And they who fly in terror deem a mighty host behind,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And hear the tramp of thousands upon the hollow wind.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Then sweet the hour that brings release from danger and from toil!", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "We talk the battle over and share the battle's spoil;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The woodland rings with laugh and shout, as if a hunt were up, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And woodland flowers were gathered to crown the soldier's cup.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "With merry songs we mock the wind that in the pin-top grieves.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And slumber sound and sweetly on beds of oaken leaves.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Well knows the fair and friendly moon the band that Marion leads—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The glitter of their rifles, the scampering of their steeds.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "'Tis life to guide the fiery barb across the moonlit plain;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "'Tis life to feel the night-wind that lifts his tossing mane.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "A moment in the British camp—a moment and away", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Back to the pathless forest before the peep of day.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Grave men they are by broad Santee, grave men with hoary hairs,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Their hearts are all with Marion, for Marion are their prayers.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And lovely ladies greet our band with kindest welcoming, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "With smiles like those of summer and tears like those of spring.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "For them we wear these rusty arms, and lay them down no more,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Till we have driven the Britons forever from our shore.", "") ?>
PoemAttribution("85", SmallCapsText("—Bryant")) ?>
PoemEnd() ?>