by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)

In the round tower at Jhansi
Language: English 
A hundred, a thousand to one; even so;
  Not a hope in the world remained:
The swarming howling wretches below
  Gained and gained and gained.

Skene looked at his pale young wife: --
  'Is the time come?' -- 'The time is come!' --
Young, strong, and so full of life:
  The agony struck them dumb.

Close his arm about her now,
  Close her cheek to his, 
Close the pistol to her brow --
  God forgive them this!

'Will it hurt much?' -- 'No, mine own:
  I wish I could bear the pang for both.'
'I wish I could bear the pang alone:
  Courage, dear, I am not loth.'

Kiss and kiss: 'It is not pain
  Thus to kiss and die.
One kiss more.' -- 'And yet one again.'  --
  'Good-bye.' -- 'Good-bye.'

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2006-01-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 124