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(Excerpt)
RIO Bravo! Rio Bravo! | |
| Saw men ever such a sight, | |
| Since the field of Roncesvalles | |
| Sealed the fate of many a knight? | |
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| Dark is Palo Alto’s story, | 5 |
| Sad Resaca Palma’s rout: | |
| On those fatal fields so gory | |
| Many a gallant life went out. | |
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| There our best and bravest lances, | |
| Shivered ’gainst the Northern steel, | 10 |
| Left the valiant hearts that couched them | |
| ’Neath the Northern charger’s heel. | |
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| Rio Bravo! Rio Bravo! | |
| Minstrel ne’er knew such a fight, | |
| Since the field of Roncesvalles | 15 |
| Sealed the fate of many a knight. | |
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| Rio Bravo, fatal river! | |
| Saw ye not, while red with gore, | |
| Torrejon all headless quiver, | |
| A ghastly trunk upon thy shore? | 20 |
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| Heard you not the wounded coursers, | |
| Shrieking on your trampled banks, | |
| As the Northern winged artillery | |
| Thundered on our shattered ranks? | |
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| There Arista, best and bravest, | 25 |
| There Raguena, tried and true, | |
| On the fatal field thou lavest, | |
| Nobly did all men could do. | |
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| Vainly there those heroes rally, | |
| Castile on Montezuma’s shore. | 30 |
| “Rio Bravo”—“Roncesvalles,” | |
| Ye are names blent evermore. | |
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| Weepest thou, lorn lady Inez, | |
| For thy lover mid the slain? | |
| Brave La Vega’s trenchant falchion | 35 |
| Cleft his slayer to the brain. | |
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| Brave La Vega, who, all lonely, | |
| By a host of foes beset, | |
| Yielded up his sabre only, | |
| When his equal there he met. | 40 |
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| Other champions not less noted | |
| Sleep beneath that sullen wave; | |
| Rio Bravo! thou hast floated | |
| An army to an ocean grave. | |
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| On they came, those Northern horsemen, | 45 |
| On like eagles toward the sun; | |
| Followed then the Northern bayonet, | |
| And the field was lost and won. | |
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| Oh for Orlando’s horn to rally | |
| His Paladins on that sad shore! | 50 |
| “Rio Bravo”—“Roncesvalles,” | |
| Ye are names blent evermore. | |
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