On the black rook over pit dark a hero stands.
Oar in right hand steel in left fist forlorn vigil
Screaming at last dark defiant hail Ulysses!
Ever battles lost, and not found lost, and not found
Both hands hold rudder searching for home running the wind
Mariner sails gray rack wind blows forlorn duty
Screaming at last sea-surrendered hail Ulysses!
Ever battles lost, and not found lost, and not found
Achilles’ fate deathless lying leaving a curse
Ever wandering rolling a toss never resting
Screaming at last fates forgiven hail Ulysses!
Ever battles lost, and not found lost, and not found
Penelope! Remembered long love in the mist
Buttress’d by oak weak heart failing never trusting
Screaming at last passion’s pleading hail Ulysses!
Ever battles lost, and not found lost, and not found
Telemachus! Oh no, my son! Immortal gift
Proud and loyal dark heart hides him never blessing
Screaming at last heart a-hammering hail Ulysses!
Ever battles lost, and not found lost, and not found
Homer’s dark hell cannot come home life so empty
Justice a farce end not written death demanding
Screaming at last final foretaste hail Ulysses!
Ever battles lost, and not found lost, and not found
Where’s the beacon? mariner’s hope light to lead on
Pride snuffed out the fallen God untimely death
Screaming at last the end has come folly forsakes
Us, left to die Hail Ulysses! The last goodbye
Hail Ulysses! And hail again . . . clever warrior
Matchless valor that never ends that never ends
That never ends that ne-ver ends that ne-v-er ends . . .
Copyright © 2007 by John Merryweather Cooper. All Rights Reserved.
It will take me a couple of readings to even begin to fathom this one, but I like the repetitive phrases and the sweeping nature of the poem alot.
It is helpful to familiar with Tennyson’s Ulysses first.