He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.' Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.' Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember, with advantages, What feats he did that day. Then shall our names, Familiar in his mouth as household words- Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester- Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red. This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now-a-bed Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day!"
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian. He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd, And rouse him at the name of Crispian. He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.' Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.' Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember, with advantages, What feats he did that day. Then shall our names, Familiar in his mouth as household words- Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester- Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red. This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so base, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now-a-bed Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
Well, OK - I've finally gotten around to reading my friends' blogposts from the last few weeks (was that election really only 18 days ago???). I read your post, Chipper, and said Oh, I've got to go to the comments and post the Saint Crispian speech from Henry V." Lo and behold there it is twice, from Coyotebanjo - well damn, we must be married or something!
In all seriousness, I kept thinking the same thing - I was there. And I'm old enough to remember crying while watching the TV news when MLK got shot...who'd have thunk it. Hope for the world.
6:47 PM
This is going to be the corniest thing you've ever read from me, and reveal me to be the geekeiest fan-boy you'd always feared, but what the hell:
In the 1981 movie "Excalibur" there's a scene where Arthur's knights gather on a hill after the last great battle to re-claim the land, and there, standing in torchlight and cheering, Merlin appears to them, and quiets them, and says:
"...look upon this moment.. savor it... rejoice with great gladness... great gladness! Remember it always, for you are joined by it. You are one, under the stars. Remember it well then, this night, this great victory, so that in the years ahead you can say 'I was there, that night with Arthur...'"
We made history last night. We had a great victory, and we are joined by it. We are one, under the stars. We elected a black man to the highest office in the land, probably the most powerful office on earth, and his name is Barack Hussien Obama. And I voted for him. I will remember it always. And I was there.
"I WAS THERE"
4 Comments -
You were there, all right, and it isn't corny in the least. I'm still totally exhausted from all the emotion. Good times, though!
6:08 PM
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day!"
We won. We WON. And it MATTERS.
9:23 PM
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so base,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
8:30 PM
Well, OK - I've finally gotten around to reading my friends' blogposts from the last few weeks (was that election really only 18 days ago???). I read your post, Chipper, and said Oh, I've got to go to the comments and post the Saint Crispian speech from Henry V." Lo and behold there it is twice, from Coyotebanjo - well damn, we must be married or something!
In all seriousness, I kept thinking the same thing - I was there. And I'm old enough to remember crying while watching the TV news when MLK got shot...who'd have thunk it. Hope for the world.
6:47 PM