One of my favorite poems. <\/p>\n
The Arab\u2019s Farewell to His Steed
\nCaroline Norton (1808-1877)<\/p>\n
My beautiful! my beautiful! that standest meekly by.
\nWith thy proudly-arched and glossy neck, and dark and fiery eye!
\nFret not to roam the desert now with all they winged speed:
\nI may not mount on thee again \u2013 thou\u2019rt sold, my Arab steed!<\/p>\n
Fret not with that impatient hoof, snuff not the breezy wind,
\nThe farther that thou fliest now, so far am I behind,
\nThe stranger hath thy bridle rein \u2013 thy master hath his gold;
\nFleet-limbed and beautiful, farewell! \u2013 thou\u2019rt sold, my seed, thou\u2019rt sold.<\/p>\n
Farewell! Those free, untired limbs full many a mile must roam,
\nTo reach the chill and wintry sky which clouds the stranger\u2019s home.
\nSome other hand, less fond, must now thy corn and bed prepare;
\nThe silky mane I braided once must be another\u2019s care.<\/p>\n
The morning sun shall dawn again, but never more with thee
\nShall I gallop o\u2019er the desert paths, where we were wont to be;
\nEvening shall darken on the earth and o\u2019er the sandy plain
\nSome other steed, with slower step, shall bear me home again.<\/p>\n
Yes, thou must go! The wild, free breeze, the brilliant sun and sky,
\nThy master\u2019s home \u2013 from all of these my exiled one must fly.
\nThy proud dark eye will grow less proud, thy step become less fleet,
\nAnd vainly shalt thou arch they neck thy master\u2019s hand to meet.<\/p>\n
Only in sleep shall I behold that dark eye glancing bright;
\nOnly in sleep shall I hear again that step so firm and light;
\nAnd when I raise my dreaming arm to check or cheer thy speed,
\nThen must I starting, wake to feel \u2013 thou\u2019rt sold, my Arab steed.<\/p>\n
Ah, rudely then, unseen by me, some cruel hand may chide,
\nTill foam-wreaths lie, like crested waves, along thy panting side;
\nAnd the rich blood that\u2019s in thee swell in they indignant pain,
\nTill careless eyes, which rest on thee, may count each starting vein.<\/p>\n
Will they ill-use thee? If I thought \u2013 but no, it cannot be.
\nThou art so swift, yet easy curbed; so gentil, yet so free;
\nAnd yet, if haply, when thou\u2019rt gone, this lonely heart should yearn,
\nCan the hand that casts thee from it now command thee to return?<\/p>\n
Return! \u2013 Alas my Arab steed! what shall thy master do,
\nWhen thou, who wert his all of joy, has vanished from his view?
\nWhen the dim distance cheats mine eye, and through the gathering tears
\nThy bright form, for a moment, like the false mirage appears?<\/p>\n
Slow and unmounted shall I roam, with weary step alone,
\nWhere with fleet step and joyous bound thou oft hast borne me on;
\nAnd sitting down by that green well, I\u2019ll pause and sadly think,
\n\u201d \u2018Twas here he bowed his glossy neck when last I saw him drink!\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
When last I saw thee drink! \u2013 away! The fevered dream is o\u2019er!
\nI could not live a day and know that we should meet no more!
\nThey tempted me, my beautiful! for hunger\u2019s power is strong-
\nThey tempted me, my beautiful! but I have loved too long.<\/p>\n
Who said that I had given thee up? Who said that thou wert sold?
\n\u2018Tis false! \u2013 \u2019tis false! my Arab steed! I fling them back their gold!
\nThus, thus, I leap upon thy back, and scour the distant plains!
\nAway! who overtakes us now may claim thee for his pains!<\/p>\n
One of my favorite poems. The Arab\u2019s Farewell to His Steed Caroline Norton (1808-1877) My beautiful! my beautiful! that standest meekly by. With thy proudly-arched and glossy neck, and dark and fiery eye! Fret not to roam the desert now with all they winged speed: I may not mount on thee again \u2013 thou\u2019rt sold,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-horses"],"yoast_head":"\n