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by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832)
Translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870)

The Monks of Bangor's March
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE
When the heathen trumpet's clang
Round beleaguered Chester rang,
Veiled nun and friar gray
Marched from Bangor's fair Abbaye;
High their holy anthem sounds,
Cestria's vale the hymn rebounds,
Floating down the sylvan Dee.
O miserere, Domine!

On the long procession goes,
Glory round their crosses glows,
And the Virgin-mother mild
In their peaceful banner smiled;
Who could think such saintly band
Doomed to feel unhallowed hand!
Such was the Divine decree,
O miserere, Domine!

Bands that masses only sung,
Hands that censers only swung,
Met the northern bow and bill,
Heard the war-cry wild and shrill;
Woe to Brockmael's feeble hand,
Woe to Olfrid's bloody brand,
Woe to Saxon cruelty,
O miserere, Domine!

Weltering amid warriors slain,
Spurned by steeds with bloody mane,
Slaughtered down by heathen blade,
Bangor's peaceful monks are laid;
Word of parting rest unspoke,
Mass unsung and bread unbroke;
For their souls for charity,
Sing, O miserere, Domine!

Bangor! o'er the murder wail!
Long thy ruins told the tale,
Shattered towers and broken arch
Long recalled the woful march:
On thy shrine no tapers burn,
Never shall thy priests return;
The pilgrim sighs and sings for thee,
O miserere, Domine!

Confirmed with Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes, ed. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co., 1876–79; Bartleby.com, 2011. www.bartleby.com/270/1/597.html.


Text Authorship:

  • by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832), "The Monks of Bangor's March" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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

  • by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "The Monks of Bangor's March", WoO. 155 (26 Walisische Lieder) no. 2 (1809-10) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Carl Attenhofer.
      • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La marche des moines de Bangor", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Georg Pertz) , "Der Mönche Ausmarch von Bangor"


Research team for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 40
Word count: 195

Der Mönche Ausmarch von Bangor
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Als der Heiden Hörnerschall
Rings umdröhnte Chester Wall
Zog im feierlichen Chor
Nonn' und Mönch aus Bangors Tor.
Festlich schwoll der Hymne Sang,
Die durch Cestrias Tal sich schwang,
Über Waldstrom hin und See:
O miserere Domine!

Fürbaß zieht die Prozession,
Flammen jedes Kreutz umloh'n,
Und der Mutter Gottes Bild
Lächelt nieder, friedlich mild
Auf der Pilger fromme Schar,
Die dem Tod verfallen war;
Vorbestimmt war solches Weh,
O miserere Domine!

Volk, das Mess' und Psalm nur sang,
hand, die nur das Rauchfass schwang,
Traf die Streitaxt aus dem Nord,
Traf der Schlachtruf, schnaubend Mord.
Wehe Brockmaels schwacher Hand!
Wehe Olfrieds Schwert und Brand!
Weh' den Sachsenschlächtern, weh'!
O miserere Domine!

Wälzend sich im Blachgefild,
Jäh zerstampft von Rossen wild,
Wünd vom Heidenschwert und Speer
Liegt der Mönche friedlich Heer,
Scheidend aus dem Erdenthal,
Ohne Mess' und Abendmahl.
Für ihr Heil zum Himmel fleh',
Sing' miserer Domine !

Bangor! ob des Mordes klag',
Oede lagst du manchen Tag;
Thurm und Hall' in Trümmern lang
Mahnten an den Unheilsgang;
Kerzenglanz ist dir verwehrt,
Und züruck kein Priester kehrt;
Der Pilger seufzt und singt dir Weh,
O miserere Domine!

Text Authorship:

  • by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870), "Der Mönche Ausmarch von Bangor" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832), "The Monks of Bangor's March"
    • Go to the text page.

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

    [ None yet in the database ]


Research team for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 40
Word count: 186

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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