Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

A Tale of Villafranca Lyrics by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Vol. IV

0

I.
My little son, my Florentine,
       &nbspSit down beside my knee,
And I will tell you why the sign
       &nbspOf joy which flushed our Italy
Has faded since but yesternight;
And why your Florence of delight
       &nbspIs mourning as you see.
II.
A great man (who was crowned one day)
       &nbspImagined a great Deed:
He shaped it out of cloud and clay,
       &nbspHe touched it finely till the seed
Possessed the flower: from heart and brain
He fed it with large thoughts humane,
       &nbspTo help a people’s need.
III.
He brought it out into the sun—
       &nbspThey blessed it to his face:
“O great pure Deed, that hast undone
       &nbspSo many bad and base!
O generous Deed, heroic Deed,
Come forth, be perfected, succeed,
       &nbspDeliver by God’s grace.”
IV.
Then sovereigns, statesmen, north and south,
       &nbspRose up in wrath and fear,
And cried, protesting by one mouth,
       &nbsp“What monster have we here?
A great Deed at this hour of day?
A great just Deed—and not for pay?
       &nbspAbsurd,—or insincere.”
V.
“And if sincere, the heavier blow
       &nbspIn that case we shall bear,
For where’s our blessed ‘status quo,’
       &nbspOur holy treaties, where,—
Our rights to sell a race, or buy,
Protect and pillage, occupy,
       &nbspAnd civilize despair?”
VI.
Some muttered that the great Deed meant
       &nbspA great pretext to sin;
And others, the pretext, so lent,
       &nbspWas heinous (to begin).
Volcanic terms of “great” and “just”?
Admit such tongues of flame, the crust
       &nbspOf time and law falls in.
VII.
A great Deed in this world of ours?
       &nbspUnheard of the pretence is:
It threatens plainly the great Powers;
       &nbspIs fatal in all senses.
A just Deed in the world?—call out
The rifles! be not slack about
       &nbspThe national defences.
VIII.
And many murmured, “From this source
       &nbspWhat red blood must be poured!”
And some rejoined, “’T is even worse;
       &nbspWhat red tape is ignored!”
All cursed the Doer for an evil
Called here, enlarging on the Devil,—
       &nbspThere, monkeying the Lord!
IX.
Some said it could not be explained,
       &nbspSome, could not be excused;
And others, “Leave it unrestrained,
       &nbspGehenna’s self is loosed.”
And all cried “Crush it, maim it, gag it!
Set dog-toothed lies to tear it ragged,
       &nbspTruncated and traduced!”
X.
But He stood sad before the sun
       &nbsp(The peoples felt their fate).
“The world is many,—I am one;
       &nbspMy great Deed was too great.
God’s fruit of justice ripens slow:
Men’s souls are narrow; let them grow.
       &nbspMy brothers, we must wait.”
XI.
The tale is ended, child of mine,
       &nbspTurned graver at my knee.
They say your eyes, my Florentine,
       &nbspAre English: it may be.
And yet I’ve marked as blue a pair
Following the doves across the square
       &nbspAt Venice by the sea.
XII.
Ah child! ah child! I cannot say
       &nbspA word more. You conceive
The reason now, why just to-day
       &nbspWe see our Florence grieve.
Ah child, look up into the sky!
In this low world, where great Deeds die,
       &nbspWhat matter if we live?
Credits
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

About “A Tale of Villafranca” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Read the complete lyrics to "A Tale of Villafranca" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning from the album "The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Vol. IV". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"A Tale of Villafranca" is performed by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. from the album "The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Vol. IV" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "A Tale of Villafranca", explore more songs by Elizabeth Barrett Browning using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Elizabeth Barrett Browning · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"A Tale of Villafranca" is credited to Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"A Tale of Villafranca" appears on "The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Vol. IV".

Visit the Elizabeth Barrett Browning artist page at /artist/elizabeth-barrett-browning for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.