Congo and other poems / by Vachel Lindsay [electronic text]

SECTION ONE

"Give the engines room, Give the engines room." Louder, faster The little band-master Whips up the fluting, Hurries up the tooting. He thinks that he stands, The reins in his hands, In the fire-chief's place In the night alarm chase. The cymbals whang, The kettledrums bang: — "Clear the street, Clear the street, Clear the street — Boom, boom. In the evening gloom, In the evening gloom, Give the engines room, Give the engines room.

Lest souls be trapped In a terrible tomb." The sparks and the pine-brands Whirl on high From the black and reeking alleys To the wide red sky. Hear the hot glass crashing, Hear the stone steps hissing. Coal black streams Down the gutters pour. There are cries for help From a far fifth floor. For a longer ladder Hear the fire-chief call. Listen to the music Of the firemen's ball. Listen to the music Of the firemen's ball. "'Tis the NIGHT Of doom," Say the ding-dong doom-bells. "NIGHT Of doom," Say the ding-dong doom-bells.

Faster, fasterThe red flames come."Hum grum," say the engines,"Hum grum grum.""Buzz, buzz,"Says the crowd."See, see,"Calls the crowd.And the high walls fall:—Listen to the musicOf the firemen's ball "'Tis theNIGHTOf doom,"Say the ding-dong doom-bells.NIGHTOf doom,Say the ding-dong doom-bells. Whangaranga, whangaranga, Whang, whang, whang, Clang, clang, clangaranga,

Clang, clang, clang. Clang—a—ranga— Clang—a—ranga—Clang, Clang, Clang.Listen—to—the—music— Of the firemen's ball—

Notes

• To be read, or chanted, with the heavy buzzing bass of fire-engines pumping.
• In this passage the reading or chanting is shriller and higher.
• To be read or chanted in a heavy bass.
• Shriller and higher.
• Heavy bass.
• Bass, much slower.