<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Marines</h1><p class="byline"> ADOLPHE E. SMYLIE <br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/><span class="smallcaps">OF The Vigilantes</span></p><p>Permission to reproduce in this hook</p><div class="stanza"><p class="line">PARDON he has no Engleesh, heem,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Il He pane que Française,</p><p class="line">I spik it leetle some Monsieur,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Vaire bad, j'en suis fâché--</p><p class="line">Marines? Mais oui! I fight viz zem</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">At Château Thierry</p><p class="line">An' on ze Ourcq an' Marne in grand</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Bon camaraderie,</p><p class="line">I see zem fight at bois Belleau,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Like sauvage make ze yell,--</p><p class="line">Sacré; nom de Dieu! zoze sailor man</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Eez fightin' like ze hell!</p><p class="line">All time zey smile when make ze push,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Magnifique zaire élan,</p><p class="line">Zey show ze heart of lion</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">For delight our bray Franchman.</p><p class="line">An' in ze tranch at rest, zoze troop</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">From ze Etats Unis</p><p class="line">Q ueeck make ze good frien' of poilu</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Wiz beeg slap on ze knee!</p><p class="line">Zey make ze song an' joke, si drôle</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">An' pass ze cigarette;</p><p class="line">Zey call us goddam good ol' scout</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Like Marquis La Fayette.</p><p class="line">Next day, mebbee, again ze taps--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Ze volley in ze air.--</p><p class="line">Adieu! some fightin' sailor man</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Eez gone West. C'est la guerre!</p><p class="line">No more ze smile, ze hug, ze hand</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Queeck wiz ze cigarette;</p><p class="line">C'est vrai, at funerall of<em> heem</em></p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Ze poilu's eye eez wet.</p><p class="line">But, every day like tidal wave,--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Like human avalanche,--</p><p class="line">Ze transport bring more Yankee troop,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To get ze beeg revanche!</p><p class="line">Zen from ze heart Américaine</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Come milliards of monnaie;</p><p class="line">Eet ze end! Your country bring</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Triomphant liberté.</p><p class="line">So, au revoir! I mus' go on</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">But first I tell to you</p><p class="line">What some high Officier remark</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Zat day at bois Belleau.</p><p class="line">He says, our great Napoleon</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Wiz envy would turn green </p><p class="line">Eel he could see zoze sailor man,--</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Zoze Uncle Sam Marines!" </p></div></body></html> · Great War