Then Zaragoza—blighted be the tongue That names thy name without the honour due! For never hath the harp of Minstrel rung, Of faith so felly proved, so firmly true! Mine, sap, and bomb thy shattered ruins knew, Each art of war’s extremity had room, Twice from thy half-sacked streets the foe withdrew, And when at length stern fate decreed thy doom, They won not Zaragoza, but her children’s bloody tomb.
Yet raise thy head, sad city! Though in chains, Enthralled thou canst not be! Arise, and claim Reverence from every heart where Freedom reigns, For what thou worshippest!—thy sainted dame, She of the Column, honoured be her name By all, whate’er their creed, who honour love! And like the sacred relics of the flame, That gave some martyr to the blessed above, To every loyal heart may thy sad embers prove!
Nor thine alone such wreck. Gerona fair! Faithful to death thy heroes shall be sung, Manning the towers, while o’er their heads the air Swart as the smoke from raging furnace hung; Now thicker darkening where the mine was sprung, Now briefly lightened by the cannon’s flare, Now arched with fire-sparks as the bomb was flung, And reddening now with conflagration’s glare, While by the fatal light the foes for storm prepare.
While all around was danger, strife, and fear, While the earth shook, and darkened was the sky, And wide Destruction stunned the listening ear, Appalled the heart, and stupefied the eye,— Afar was heard that thrice-repeated cry, In which old Albion’s heart and tongue unite, Whene’er her soul is up, and pulse beats high, Whether it hail the wine-cup or the fight, And bid each arm be strong, or bid each heart be light.
Don Roderick turned him as the shout grew loud— A varied scene the changeful vision showed, For, where the ocean mingled with the cloud, A gallant navy stemmed the billows broad. From mast and stern St. George’s symbol flowed, Blent with the silver cross to Scotland dear; Mottling the sea their landward barges rowed, And flashed the sun on bayonet, brand, and spear, And the wild beach returned the seamen’s jovial cheer.
It was a dread, yet spirit-stirring sight! The billows foamed beneath a thousand oars, Fast as they land the red-cross ranks unite, Legions on legions bright’ning all the shores. Then banners rise, and cannon-signal roars, Then peals the warlike thunder of the drum, Thrills the loud fife, the trumpet-flourish pours, And patriot hopes awake, and doubts are dumb, For, bold in Freedom’s cause, the bands of Ocean come!