The Charge Of The Light Brigade
這首詩是在紀念英國輕騎兵在克里米亞戰爭期間的英勇事蹟。
1854年10月25日，英國指揮官下錯指令，命令六百餘名輕騎兵穿越峽谷向Balaclava的俄國砲兵陣地正面衝鋒。明知生還機會渺茫 ，這些
英國輕騎兵仍毅然向俄軍陣地衝鋒。維多利亞時代的英國承續了古羅馬人Gravitas的民族精神，「輕騎兵的衝鋒」正好反映了這種精神。
Half a
league half a league,
Half a
league onward,
All in
the valley of Death
Rode
the six hundred:
'Forward,
the Light Brigade!
Charge
for the guns' he said:
Into
the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward,
the Light Brigade!'
Was
there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs
but to do and die,
Into
the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon
to right of them,
Cannon
to left of them,
Cannon
in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly
they rode and well,
Into
the jaws of Death,
Into
the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres
bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd
in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging
an army while
All the
world wonder'd:
Plunged
in the battery-smoke
Right
thro' the line they broke;
Cossack
and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then
they rode back, but not
Not the
six hundred.
Cannon
to right of them,
Cannon
to left of them,
Cannon
behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While
horse and hero fell,
They
that had fought so well
Came
thro' the jaws of Death,
Back
from the mouth of Hell,
All
that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When
can their glory fade?
O the
wild charge they made!
All the
world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble
six hundred!