Pharsalia - Book Vii: The Battle Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Ne'er to the summons of the Eternal laws	A
More slowly Titan rose nor drave his steeds	B
Forced by the sky revolving up the heaven	C
With gloomier presage wishing to endure	D
The pangs of ravished light and dark eclipse	E
And drew the mists up not to feed his flames	F
But lest his light upon Thessalian earth	G
Might fall undimmed	H
	-
Pompeius on that morn	I
To him the latest day of happy life	J
In troubled sleep an empty dream conceived	H
For in the watches of the night he heard	H
Innumerable Romans shout his name	K
Within his theatre the benches vied	H
To raise his fame and place him with the gods	L
As once in youth when victory was won	C
O'er conquered tribes where swift Iberus flows	M
And where Sertorius' armies fought and fled	H
The west subdued with no less majesty	H
Than if the purple toga graced the car	N
He sat triumphant in his pure white gown	O
A Roman knight and heard the Senate's cheer	P
Perhaps as ills drew near his anxious soul	Q
Shunning the future wooed the happy past	H
Or as is wont prophetic slumber showed	H
That which was not to be by doubtful forms	R
Misleading or as envious Fate forbade	H
Return to Italy this glimpse of Rome	S
Kind Fortune gave Break not his latest sleep	T
Ye sentinels let not the trumpet call	U
Strike on his ear for on the morrow's night	H
Shapes of the battle lost of death and war	V
Shall crowd his rest with terrors Whence shalt thou	W
The poor man's happiness of sleep regain	X
Happy if even in dreams thy Rome could see	H
Once more her captain Would the gods had given	C
To thee and to thy country one day yet	H
To reap the latest fruit of such a love	Y
Though sure of fate to come Thou marchest on	Z
As though by heaven ordained in Rome to die	H
She conscious ever of her prayers for thee	H
Heard by the gods deemed not the fates decreed	H
Such evil destiny that she should lose	A2
The last sad solace of her Magnus' tomb	B2
Then young and old had blent their tears for thee	H
And child unbidden women torn their hair	C2
And struck their bosoms as for Brutus dead	H
But now no public woe shall greet thy death	D2
As erst thy praise was heard but men shall grieve	E2
In silent sorrow though the victor's voice	F2
Amid the clash of arms proclaims thy fall	U
Though incense smoke before the Thunderer's shrine	G2
And shouts of welcome bid great Caesar hail	H2
	-
The stars had fled before the growing morn	I
When eager voices as the fates drew on	Z
The world to ruin round Pompeius' tent	H
Demand the battle signal What by those	M
So soon to perish shall the sign be asked	H
Their own their country's doom Ah fatal rage	I2
That hastens on the hour no other sun	C
Upon this living host shall rise again	J2
'Pompeius fears ' they cry 'He's slow to act	H
Too 'kind to Caesar and he fondly rules	K2
A world of subject peoples but with peace	L2
Such rule were ended ' Eastern kings no less	M2
And peoples eager for their distant homes	N2
Already murmured at the lengthy war	V
	-
Thus hath it pleased the gods when woe impends	N2
On guilty men to make them seem its cause	N2
We court disaster crave the fatal sword	H
Of Magnus' camp Pharsalia was the prayer	C2
For Tullius of all the sons of Rome	S
Chief orator beneath whose civil rule	O2
Fierce Catiline at the peace compelling axe	N2
Trembled and fled arose to Magnus' ear	P2
Bearing the voice of all To him was war	V
Grown hateful and he longed once more to hear	P2
The Senate's plaudits and with eloquent lips	N2
He lent persuasion to the weaker cause	N2
'Fortune Pompeius for her gifts to thee	H
Asks this one boon that thou should'st use her now	W
Here at thy feet thy leading captains lie	H
And here thy monarchs and a suppliant world	H
Entreats thee prostrate for thy kinsman's fall	U
So long shall Caesar plunge the world in war	V
Swift was thy tread when these proud nations fell	Q2
How deep their shame and justly should delay	R2
Now mar thy conquests Where thy trust in Fate	H
Thy fervour where Ingrate Dost dread the gods	N2
Or think they favour not the Senate's cause	N2
Thy troops unbidden shall the standards seize	N2
And conquer thou in shame be forced to win	S2
If at the Senate's orders and for us	N2
The war is waged then give to us the right	H
To choose the battle field Why dost thou keep	T
From Caesar's throat the swords of all the world	H
The weapon quivers in the eager hand	H
Scarce one awaits the signal Strike at once	N2
Or without thee the trumpets sound the fray	R2
Art thou the Senate's comrade or her lord	H
We wait your answer '	-
	-
But Pompeius groaned	H
His mind was adverse but he felt the fates	N2
Opposed his wish and knew the hand divine	G2
'Since all desire it and the fates prevail	H2
So let it be your leader now no more	V
I share the labours of the battle field	H
Let Fortune roll the nations of the earth	G
In one red ruin myriads of mankind	H
See their last sun to day Yet Rome I swear	C2
This day of blood was forced upon thy son	C
Without a wound the prizes of the war	V
Might have been thine and he who broke the peace	N2
In peace forgotten Whence this lust for crime	T2
Shall bloodless victories in civil war	V
Be shunned not sought We've ravished from our foe	U2
All boundless seas and land his starving troops	N2
Have snatched earth's crop half grown in vain attempt	H
Their hunger to appease they prayed for death	D2
Sought for the sword thrust and within our ranks	N2
Were fain to mix their life blood with your own	V2
Much of the war is done the conscript youth	W2
Whose heart beats high who burns to join the fray	R2
Though men fight hard in terror of defeat	H
The shock of onset need no longer fear	P
Bravest is he who promptly meets the ill	X2
When fate commands it and the moment comes	N2
Yet brooks delay in prudence and shall we	H
Our happy state enjoying risk it all	U
Trust to the sword the fortunes of the world	H
Not victory but battle ye demand	H
Do thou O Fortune of the Roman state	H
Who mad'st Pompeius guardian from his hands	N2
Take back the charge grown weightier and thyself	U2
Commit its safety to the chance of war	V
Nor blame nor glory shall be mine to day	R2
Thy prayers unjustly Caesar have prevailed	H
We fight What wickedness what woes on men	J2
Destruction on what realms this dawn shall bring	Y2
Crimson with Roman blood yon stream shall run	C
Would that without the ruin of our cause	N2
The first fell bolt hurled on this cursed day	R2
Might strike me lifeless Else this battle brings	N2
A name of pity or a name of hate	H
The loser bears the burden of defeat	H
The victor wins but conquest is a crime '	-
Thus to the soldiers burning for the fray	R2
He yields forbidding and throws down the reins	N2
So may a sailor give the winds control	Q
Upon his barque which driven by the seas	N2
Bears him an idle burden Now the camp	Z2
Hums with impatience and the brave man's heart	H
With beats tumultuous throbs against his breast	H
And all the host had standing in their looks	N2
The paleness of the death that was to come	A3
On that day's fight 'twas manifest that Rome	S
And all the future destinies of man	B3
Hung trembling and by weightier dread possessed	H
They knew not danger Who would fear for self	U2
Should ocean rise and whelm the mountain tops	N2
And sun and sky descend upon the earth	G
In universal chaos Every mind	H
Is bent upon Pompeius and on Rome	S
They trust no sword until its deadly point	H
Glows on the sharpening stone no lance will serve	U2
Till straightened for the fray each bow is strung	C3
Anew and arrows chosen for their work	D3
Fill all the quivers horsemen try the curb	E3
And fit the bridle rein and whet the spur	F3
If toils divine with human may compare	C2
'Twas thus when Phlegra bore the giant crew	G3
In Etna's furnace glowed the sword of Mars	N2
Neptunus' trident felt the flame once more	V
And great Apollo after Python slain	X
Sharpened his darts afresh on Pallas' shield	H
Was spread anew the dread Medusa's hair	C2
And broad Sicilia trembled at the blows	N2
Of Vulcan forging thunderbolts for Jove	U2
	-
Yet Fortune failed not as they sought the field	H
In various presage of the ills to come	A3
All heaven opposed their march portentous fire	F3
In columns filled the plain and torches blazed	H
And thirsty whirlwinds mixed with meteor bolts	N2
Smote on them as they strode whose sulphurous flames	N2
Per	F3

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus

Pharsalia - Book Vii: The Battle Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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