GELERT
William Robert Spencer
The spearmen heard the bugle sound,
And cheerily smiled the morn;
And many a brach, and many a hound
Obeyed Llewellyn’s horn.
And still he blew a louder blast,
And gave a lustier cheer,
“Come, Gelert, come, wert never last
Llewellyn’s horn to hear.
“O where does faithful Gelert roam
The flower of all his race;
So true, so brave – a lamb at home,
A lion in the chase?”
In sooth, he was a peerless hound,
The gift of royal John;
But now no Gelert could be found,
And all the chase rode on.
That day Llewellyn little loved
The chase of hart and hare;
And scant and small the booty proved,
For Gelert was not there.
Unpleased, Llewellyn homeward hied,
When, near the portal seat,
His truant Gelert he espied
Bounding his lord to greet.
But when he gained the castle-door,
Aghast the chieftain stood;
The hound all o’er was smeared with gore;
His lips, his fangs, ran blood.
Llewellyn gazed with fierce surprise;
Unused such looks to meet,
His favourite checked his joyful guise,
And crouched, and licked his feet.
Onward, in haste, Llewellyn passed,
And on went Gelert too;
And still, where’er his eyes he cast,
Fresh blood-gouts shocked his view.
Overturned his infant’s bed he found,
With blood-stained covert rent;
And all around the walls and ground
With recent blood besprent.
He called his child – no voice replied -
He searched with terror wild;
Blood, blood he found on every side,
But nowhere found his child.
“Hell-hound! my child’s by thee devoured,”
The frantic father cried;
And to the hilt his vengeful sword
He plunged in Gelert’s side.
Aroused by Gelert’s dying yell,
Some slumberer wakened nigh;
What words the parent’s joy could tell
To hear his infant’s cry!
Concealed beneath a tumbled heap
His hurried search had missed,
All glowing from his rosy sleep
The cherub boy he kissed.
No hurt had he, nor harm, nor dread,
But, the same couch beneath,
Lay a gaunt wolf, all torn and dead,
Tremendous still in death.
Ah, what was then Llewellyn’s pain!
For now the truth was clear;
His gallant hound the wolf had slain
To save Llewellyn’s heir.
2 comments:
Powerful in all ways.
i've had the pleasure of having a wolfhound very well breed from two of the greatest US/Canadian kennels for the last 30+ years as they believed that even in this litigious society, they should maintain their protective streak. he would allow most male workers into the house when introduced, but always his body would stay between us. it was sometimes awkward in baths with plumbers trying to explain a problem--he was 39" at the withers, head above 4', 212lbs and 7 1/2' tall on his back legs. one man who filled our oil, he simply did not like. each time he came the man that was about 6'3" would have me in the small furnace room bending this way and that to see this or that on our old furnace. the first time i went down alone, because morgan was simply rumbling in his chest and decided not to truly frighten the man. but he stood too close, touched my arms and shoulders often and made me terribly uncomfortable. the next time, i took the wolfhound. his huge rumbling body was between us, i refused any twister type moves to look at things and said to send out a technician if he thought there was a problem. he mentioned he thought the dog didn't care for him. i answered, 'he does not.' he reached over the dog to touch my shoulder and the wolfhound simply took his wrist in his very substantial maw and would not release him. the man actually had the temerity to suggest i leave the dog upstairs next time to not disturb 'us.' i'm a pretty tough cookie as i was my father's first 'son' & taught me to both box and street fight as well as handle all sorts of weapons & hunt very well, but i've found when out in rough country alone (or in tight places with unknown men) it is good policy to have a very large dog as well. i finally gave him an 'out' command since he was refusing any "release" gestures or verbal commands. that was fine with him, he simply dragged the man with him! i was still inside the doorway, the dogs body across the threshold, the befuddled man was inspecting his arm--nothing. simply indentations and saliva. he did not return. irish wolfhounds are easy to take lightly (once one gets over the shock of the size) as they are quiet and generally easy-going. i had actually been lamenting not having a harder tempered dog until that incident. but they save it for occasions that are warranted and are outstanding judges of character.
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