Poems (Hardy)/The immortal
THE IMMORTAL
A MAN went forth to battle once and set His flag upon the blackened wall of fate; Then when the death foreseen had made him great,His mourning country strove to pay the debtWith laureled marble and with carved regret; She wrote his deed upon the book of state, She graved it, blazoned, on the palace gate,Dared Time himself to read and then forget.Yet moss-grown is that name now. None can know What thing was done that marble should be piled. But brave young hearts arise, and haste, and goTo victory still, chanting with joyous tread The ballad bold that roused and reconciled To death that nameless one among the dead.