Anhelli - Chapter 10 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABC BDD EBB CFBB GB BCH CCCC ICJ CBK DJLBI CMC NB BNKB BIB BL B C C GCO CB BPC QRGC STNB UBBof the Shaman had begun to quarrel among themselves | A |
and had divided into three groups | B |
but each of these groups thought of the deliverance of the fatherland | C |
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Now the first had at its head Count Scirrhus | B |
who upheld the cause of those who array themselves in the kontusz and will be called gentry | D |
as if they had come anew with Lach into a desert country | D |
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And the second had at its head a gaunt soldier Skartabella by name | E |
who wished to divide the land and proclaim the freedom of the peasants | B |
and the equality of the gentry with the Jews and gipsies | B |
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And a third had at its head Father Bonifat | C |
who desired to save the country by prayer | F |
and for the deliverance of the country offered but one means | B |
to go and perish not defending one's self like martyrs | B |
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These three groups then began to be discordant in spirit with one another | G |
and they began to quarrel over their principles | B |
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And lo that second group arming them selves with axes | B |
went out into the field threatening that they would find out from the first of what sort was their blood | C |
to the others they would give that which they desired martyrdom | H |
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But before it came to combat | C |
and while their minds were already heated | C |
at the advice of one of those of the third group they agreed | C |
that they should decide this matter by the judgment of God | C |
- | |
And that counsellor said to them | I |
'Lo let us set up three crosses in imitation of the agony of our Lord | C |
and on each of these three trees we will nail one of the mightiest knights in each group | J |
and he who liveth longest with him shall be the victory ' | - |
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And the thoughts of these people being as it were in a drunken state | C |
three knights were found who were willing to suffer death for their convictions | B |
and to be crucified like the Lord Christ long ago | K |
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So they set up three crosses from the tallest tree that there was in that country | D |
and three martyrs came forth one from each group | J |
however they were not chosen by lot but of their own will | L |
They were not the leaders of the groups | B |
but some of the least among them | I |
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Then when the carpenters had set up the crosses on a high snowy mount | C |
there came a voice from heaven like a whirlwind asking | M |
'What do ye ' But these people feared it not | C |
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And they hanged upon the crosses those madmen | N |
and they fastened their hands with nails | B |
and he who was on the right shouted 'Equality ' | - |
and he who was on the left shouted 'Blood ' | - |
but the one hanging in the middle said 'Faith ' | - |
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And the multitudes stood in silence under the crosses | B |
waiting what should happen | N |
and so night found them in the snow | K |
and there was a great darkness and an awful silence | B |
- | |
Until at midnight the northern lights spread over the whole half of the heavens | B |
and fiery swords shot from them | I |
and all grew red even those crosses with the martyrs | B |
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At that moment a sort of terror seized upon the multitudes | B |
and they said 'We have done ill | L |
Is it lawful that for our beliefs these men should perish innocently ' | - |
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And the crowds were dismayed saying to themselves | B |
'Lo they are dying and they do not complain ' | - |
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They said therefore to those who were crucified | C |
'Do ye desire that we take you down ' | - |
But those answered them naught being already dead | C |
- | |
And realizing this the crowds scattered full of horror | G |
and none of those who fled turned his head to gaze upon the dead and martyred | C |
The lights reddened them and they remained alone | O |
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And just at this time the Shaman and Anhelli returned from their wandering under the earth and marvelled | C |
observing against the fiery heavens three black crosses | B |
and they said in great fear 'What hath come to pass ' | - |
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And coming nearer they were amazed at seeing upon the crosses dead bodies | B |
and they recognized in them men whom they knew | P |
then the Shaman seated himself beneath the crosses and wept | C |
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And rising he said to Anhelli 'Lo the spirit of God hath made known to me the guilt of this people | Q |
and I know why they crucified these men | R |
but that their bodies may not suffer any new dishonour | G |
we will take them down and bear them to the graveyard | C |
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'Let them have rest in the earth | S |
for they gave themselves up to death in good faith | T |
and this shall not be to their damnation | N |
but to the wiping away of their sins | B |
The cross hath purified them ' | - |
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So saying they took them down | U |
frozen and numb on the crosses | B |
and bore them away to the ancient burial place of the exiles | B |
Juliusz Slowacki
(1)
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