The Sacrifice Of Er-heb Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABC DEFGDDH IJKGKL KJDMNKMOPM LQM DRMRSRMOMT DUDDMVWXODD YDT ZEMT DA2DB2D YDTZDZ DC2MD2OMVMT E2DDF2KALG2ADC2ADM D2DDOKPEAEH2DDADLI2 DMDDDDJ2K2L2 M2N2O2JDP2NQ2ND ODR2S2NMMT2DDDT DA2MU2KD V2W2DD UDDDP2 X2Y2DMDDP MZ2M EA3MADO2P2ETEMMB3 C3MY2

Er Heb beyond the Hills of Ao SafaiA
Bears witness to the truth and Ao SafaiA
Hath told the men of Gorukh Thence the taleB
Comes westward o'er the peaks to IndiaC
-
The story of Bisesa Armod's childD
A maiden plighted to the Chief in WarE
The Man of Sixty Spears who held the PassF
That leads to Thibet but to day is goneG
To seek his comfort of the God called BudhD
The Silent showing how the Sickness ceasedD
Because of her who died to save the tribeH
-
Taman is One and greater than us allI
Taman is One and greater than all GodsJ
Taman is Two in One and rides the skyK
Curved like a stallion's croup from dusk to dawnG
And drums upon it with his heels wherebyK
Is bred the neighing thunder in the hillsL
-
This is Taman the God of all Er HebK
Who was before all Gods and made all GodsJ
And presently will break the Gods he madeD
And step upon the Earth to govern menM
Who give him milk dry ewes and cheat his PriestsN
Or leave his shrine unlighted as Er HebK
Left it unlighted and forgot TamanM
When all the Valley followed after KyshO
And Yabosh little Gods but very wiseP
And from the sky Taman beheld their sinM
-
He sent the Sickness out upon the hillsL
The Red Horse Sickness with the iron hoovesQ
To turn the Valley to Taman againM
-
And the Red Horse snuffed thrice into the windD
The naked wind that had no fear of himR
And the Red Horse stamped thrice upon the snowM
The naked snow that had no fear of himR
And the Red Horse went out across the rocksS
The ringing rocks that had no fear of himR
And downward where the lean birch meets the snowM
And downward where the gray pine meets the birchO
And downward where the dwarf oak meets the pineM
Till at his feet our cup like pastures layT
-
That night the slow mists of the evening droppedD
Dropped as a cloth upon a dead man's faceU
And weltered in the Valley bluish whiteD
Like water very silent spread abroadD
Like water very silent from the ShrineM
Unlighted of Taman to where the streamV
Is dammed to fill our cattle troughs sent upW
White waves that rocked and heaved and then were stillX
Till all the Valley glittered like a marshO
Beneath the moonlight filled with sluggish mistD
Knee deep so that men waded as they walkedD
-
That night the Red Horse grazed above the DamY
Beyond the cattle troughs Men heard him feedD
And those that heard him sickened where they layT
-
Thus came the Sickness to Er Heb and slewZ
Ten men strong men and of the women fourE
And the Red Horse went hillward with the dawnM
But near the cattle troughs his hoof prints layT
-
That night the slow mists of the evening droppedD
Dropped as a cloth upon the dead but roseA2
A little higher to a young girl's heightD
Till all the Valley glittered like a lakeB2
Beneath the moonlight filled with sluggish mistD
-
That night the Red Horse grazed beyond the DamY
A stone's throw from the troughs Men heard him feedD
And those that heard him sickened where they layT
Thus came the Sickness to Er Heb and slewZ
Of men a score and of the women eightD
And of the children twoZ
-
Because the roadD
To Gorukh was a road of enemiesC2
And Ao Safai was blocked with early snowM
We could not flee from out the Valley DeathD2
Smote at us in a slaughter pen and KyshO
Was mute as Yabosh though the goats were slainM
And the Red Horse grazed nightly by the streamV
And later outward towards the Unlighted ShrineM
And those that heard him sickened where they layT
-
Then said Bisesa to the Priests at duskE2
When the white mist rose up breast high and chokedD
The voices in the houses of the deadD
quot Yabosh and Kysh avail not If the HorseF2
Reach the Unlighted Shrine we surely dieK
Ye have forgotten of all Gods the ChiefA
Taman quot Here rolled the thunder through the HillsL
And Yabosh shook upon his pedestalG2
quot Ye have forgotten of all Gods the ChiefA
Too long quot And all were dumb save one who criedD
On Yabosh with the Sapphire 'twixt His kneesC2
But found no answer in the smoky roofA
And being smitten of the Sickness diedD
Before the altar of the Sapphire ShrineM
-
Then said Bisesa quot I am near to DeathD2
And have the Wisdom of the Grave for giftD
To bear me on the path my feet must treadD
If there be wealth on earth then I am richO
For Armod is the first of all Er HebK
If there be beauty on the earth quot her eyesP
Dropped for a moment to the temple floorE
quot Ye know that I am fair If there be loveA
Ye know that love is mine quot The Chief in WarE
The Man of Sixty Spears broke from the pressH2
And would have clasped her but the Priests withstoodD
Saying quot She has a message from Taman quotD
Then said Bisesa quot By my wealth and loveA
And beauty I am chosen of the GodD
Taman quot Here rolled the thunder through the HillsL
And Kysh fell forward on the Mound of SkullsI2
-
In darkness and before our Priests the maidD
Between the altars cast her bracelets downM
Therewith the heavy earrings Armod madeD
When he was young out of the water goldD
Of Gorukh threw the breast plate thick with jadeD
Upon the turquoise anklets put asideD
The bands of silver on her brow and neckJ2
And as the trinkets tinkled on the stonesK2
The thunder of Taman lowed like a bullL2
-
Then said Bisesa stretching out her handsM2
As one in darkness fearing Devils quot HelpN2
O Priests I am a woman very weakO2
And who am I to know the will of GodsJ
Taman hath called me whither shall I go quotD
The Chief in War the Man of Sixty SpearsP2
Howled in his torment fettered by the PriestsN
But dared not come to her to drag her forthQ2
And dared not lift his spear against the PriestsN
Then all men weptD
-
There was a Priest of KyshO
Bent with a hundred winters hairless blindD
And taloned as the great Snow Eagle isR2
His seat was nearest to the altar firesS2
And he was counted dumb among the PriestsN
But whether Kysh decreed or from TamanM
The impotent tongue found utterance we knowM
As little as the bats beneath the eavesT2
He cried so that they heard who stood withoutD
quot To the Unlighted Shrine quot and crept asideD
Into the shadow of his fallen GodD
And whimpered and Bisesa went her wayT
-
That night the slow mists of the evening droppedD
Dropped as a cloth upon the dead and roseA2
Above the roofs and by the Unlighted ShrineM
Lay as the slimy water of the troughsU2
When murrain thins the cattle of Er HebK
And through the mist men heard the Red Horse feedD
-
In Armod's house they burned Bisesa's dowerV2
And killed her black bull Tor and broke her wheelW2
And loosed her hair as for the marriage feastD
With cries more loud than mourning for the deadD
-
Across the fields from Armod's dwelling placeU
We heard Bisesa weeping where she passedD
To seek the Unlighted Shrine the Red Horse neighedD
And followed her and on the river mintD
His hooves struck dead and heavy in our earsP2
-
Out of the mists of evening as the starX2
Of Ao Safai climbs through the black snow blurY2
To show the Pass is clear Bisesa steppedD
Upon the great gray slope of mortised stoneM
The Causeway of Taman The Red Horse neighedD
Behind her to the Unlighted Shrine then fledD
North to the Mountain where his stable liesP
-
They know who dared the anger of TamanM
And watched that night above the clinging mistsZ2
Far up the hill Bisesa's passing inM
-
She set her hand upon the carven doorE
Fouled by a myriad bats and black with timeA3
Whereon is graved the Glory of TamanM
In letters older than the Ao SafaiA
And twice she turned aside and twice she weptD
Cast down upon the threshold clamouringO2
For him she loved the Man of Sixty SpearsP2
And for her father and the black bull TorE
Hers and her pride Yea twice she turned awayT
Before the awful darkness of the doorE
And the great horror of the Wall of ManM
Where Man is made the plaything of TamanM
An Eyeless Face that waits above and laughsB3
-
But the third time she cried and put her palmsC3
Against the hewn stone leaves and prayed TamanM
To spare Er Heb and take herY2

Rudyard Kipling



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