linn --

i found this lurking in an old file.

michael

The Siege of Belgrade

      An Austrian army, awfully arrayed,
      Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade.
      Cossack commanders cannonading come,
      Dealing destruction's devastating doom.
      Every endeavor engineers essay,
      For fame, for fortune fighting - furious fray!
      Generals 'gainst generals grapple - gracious God!
      How honors Heaven heroic hardihood!
      Infuriate, indiscrminate in ill,
      Kindred kill kinsmen, kinsmen kindred kill.
      Labor low levels longest, lofiest lines;
      Men march 'mid mounds, 'mid moles, ' mid murderous mines;
      Now noxious, noisey numbers nothing, naught
      Of outward obstacles, opposing ought;
      Poor patriots, partly purchased, partly pressed,
      Quite quaking, quickly "Quarter! Quarter!" quest.
      Reason returns, religious right redounds,
      Suwarrow stops such sanguinary sounds.
      Truce to thee, Turkey! Triumph to thy train,
      Unwise, unjust, unmerciful Ukraine!
      Vanish vain victory! vanish, victory vain!
      Why wish we warfare? Wherefore welcome were
      Xerxes, Ximenes, Xanthus, Xavier?
      Yield, yield, ye youths! ye yeomen, yield your yell!
      Zeus', Zarpater's, Zoroaster's zeal,
      Attracting all, arms against acts appeal!

          -- Alaric Alexander Watts (1797-1864)(attrib.)