And ladies look with heaving breast, and lords His legs are short, his hams are thick, his hoofs are with anxious eye, black as night, But the lance is firmly in its rest, and his look Like a strong flail he holds his tail in fierceness of is calm and high. Three bulls against the knight are loosed, and two come roaring on; He rises high in stirrup, forth stretching his rejon; his might; Like something molten out of iron, or hewn from forth the rock, Harpado of Xarama stands, to bide the Alcayde's shock. Each furious beast upon the breast he deals him Now stops the drum-close, close they comesuch a blow, thrice meet, and thrice give back; He blindly totters and gives back, across the sand The white foam of Harpado lies on the charger's to go. "Turn, Gazul, turn," the people cry-"the third comes up behind; Low to the sand his head holds he, his nostrils snuff the wind;" breast of black— The white foam of the charger on Harpado's front of dun: Once more advance upon his lance—once more, thou fearless one! The mountaineers that lead the steers without Once more, once more -in dust and gore to ruin stand whispering low, must thou reel; "Now thinks this proud Alcayde to stun Harpado In vain, in vain thou tearest the sand with furious so?" From Guadiana comes he not, he comes not from From Guadalarif of the plain, or Barves of the But where from out the forest burst Xarama's waters clear, Beneath the oak-trees was he nursed, this proud and stately steer. Dark is his hide on either side, but the blood within doth boil; And the dun hide glows, as if on fire, as he paws to the turmoil. His eyes are jet, and they are set in crystal rings of snow; But now they stare with one red glare of brass upon the foe. Upon the forehead of the bull the horns stand close and near, From out the broad and wrinkled skull like daggers they appear; His neck is massy, like the trunk of some old knotted tree, Whereon the monster's shagged mane, like billows curled, ye see. heel |