I am Dying, Egypt, Dying!

This is a beautiful poem written by William Haines Lytle on Shakespeare's tragic-romance, 'Antony and Cleopatra.' This famous historic story tells of the Roman warrior and the enchanting Egyptian queen who, madly in love with each other, lost an empire to Augustus Caesar. This is Antony's death scence. The victorious Octavian, Antony's long-time rival, (later known as Augustus Caesar) is a day's march away from their last refuge, Alexandria, after having defeated Antony's entire army in the famous, disastrous battle of Actium. Antony is dying, struck down by his own hand. Languishing in his lover's arms, he speaks his last passionate words.

'I am Dying, Egypt, dying,
Ebbs the crimsrioron life-tide fast,
And the dark Plutonian shadows
Gather on the evening blast;
Let thine arms, O Queen, enfold me,
Hush thy sobs and bow thine ear;
Listen to the great heart-secrets,
Thou, and thou alone, must hear.

Though my scarr'd and veteran legions
Bear their eagles high no more
And my wreck'd and scatter'd galleys
Strew dark Actuim's fatal shore,
Though no glittering guards surround me,
Prompt to do their master's will,
I must perish like a Roman,
Die the great Triumvir still.

Let not Caesar's servile minions
Mock the lion thus laid low
'Twas no foeman's arm that fell'd him,
'Twas his own that struc the blow;
His who, pillow'd on thy bosom,
Turn'd aside from glory's ray,
His who, drunk with thy caresses,
Madly threw a world away.

As for thee, star-eyed Egyptian,
Glorious sorceress of the Nile
Light the path to Stygian horors
With the splendors of thy sile.
Give the Caesar crowns ad arches,
Let his brow the laurel tine;
I can scorn the Senate'striumphs,
Triumphing in love like thine.

I am dying, Egypt, dying;
Hark! the insulting foeman's cry.
They are coming! quick, my falchion,
Let me front them ere I die.
Ah! no more amid the battle
Shall my heart exulting swell;
Isis and Osiris guard thee!
Cleopatra, Rome, farewell!

- William Haines Lytle