<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Song of the Guns</h1><p class="byline"> HERBERT KAUFMAN <br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/>From Mr. Kaufman's book of poems, "The Hell Gate of Soissons." T. Fisher Unwin, Publishers (all rights reserved), London, England, Special permission to reproduce in this book.</p><div class="stanza"><p class="line">HEAR the guns, hear the guns!</p><p class="line">High above the splutter-sputter </p><p class="line">Of the Maxim, and the stutter </p><p class="line">Of the rifles, hear them shrieking. </p><p class="line">See the searching shells come sneaking, </p><p class="line">Softly speaking, </p><p class="line">Slyly seeking, </p><p class="line">Thirsting, bursting, shrapnel-leaking </p><p class="line">Where the ranks are thickest-tearing </p><p class="line">Mighty gaps among the daring. </p><p class="line">Charging horse and rider stumble, </p><p class="line">And brigades fall in a jumble; </p><p class="line">Earthworks crumble, </p><p class="line">Standards tumble, </p><p class="line">And the driving bayonets fumble, </p><p class="line">But unsated,</p><p class="line"> Still the hated </p><p class="line">Cannon thunder, unabated. </p><p class="line">Hear them rumble, </p><p class="line">Hear them grumble, </p><p class="line">Hear the old song of the guns! </p><p class="line">"Send your sons, </p><p class="line">Send your sons, </p><p class="line">All your near ones, </p><p class="line">All your dear ones; </p><p class="line">Give us food! </p><p class="line">Give us food! </p><p class="line">Give the strongest of your brood. </p><p class="line">Let us feed!</p><p class="line">Let us feed!</p><p class="line">On the bravest that you breed. </p><p class="line">Give us meat, </p><p class="line">Give us meat, </p><p class="line">Oh, the blood of Valor's sweet!"</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">And the women make reply: </p><p class="line">Ah, the glory of the lie--</p><p class="line">"Look, no tear is in our eye. </p><p class="line">Rather would we see you die </p><p class="line">For your country, than stand by. </p><p class="line">Rather would we boast to tell </p><p class="line">To your children that you fell, </p><p class="line">Than to have you lurk and sell </p><p class="line">Honor for a coward's breath; </p><p class="line">Better far the soldier's death. </p><p class="line">Go and battle for the land. </p><p class="line">Make a stand! </p><p class="line">Make a stand! </p><p class="line">Go and join the dauntless band. </p><p class="line">Take a hand! </p><p class="line">Take a hand! </p><p class="line">Count not us--God will provide!"</p><p class="line">Thus the women in their pride </p><p class="line">Mask their hearts--their anguish hide. </p><p class="line">Thus the mother and the bride </p><p class="line">Bid their men to march and ride To the guns,</p><p class="line">Hungry guns, </p><p class="line">Rumbling, grumbling for their sons. </p><p class="line">Thus the women ever give, </p><p class="line">Give their nearest, dearest ones </p><p class="line">At the summons of the guns.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">What is war to men--they<em>die.</em></p><p class="line">But the widowed women, aye,</p><p class="line">To the end alone, must<em>live.</em></p></div></body></html> · Great War