<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Chant of Dead Warriors</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">WE came from the ends of the Earth to the Mother who gave to us birth,</p><p class="line">In our eyes leapt the sunshine of mirth, throughour veins ran the rapture of Life!</p><p class="line">We were young, and the flame of desire stillburned, and our hearts were afire,</p><p class="line">Our love was intense and our ire was swiftly aroused, for in strife</p><p class="line">We smote without rest, without ruth, with thevigour and passion of Youth,</p><p class="line">And hated dissemblers of Truth, though our ways with disorder were rife.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In the silence of Death now we lie, strangely bound 'neath an alien sky,</p><p class="line">Life was good but 'twas better to die in thebattle for England our Mother!</p><p class="line">She reared us and sent us afar, recalled us andarmed us for War-</p><p class="line">We heard and we came and are sleeping now, brother with brother;</p><p class="line">'Neath the tide of the battle we rest, with the fever of life unoppressed:</p><p class="line">Of all ends 'twas the end that was best; what true man desired another?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We flowed as the sea-tides flow, with a roar in the face of the foe,</p><p class="line">And smote them with blow upon blow, and they sank 'neath the furious wave; </p><p class="line">were swift, we were terrible, strong, andwere filled with the fury of Wrong:</p><p class="line">Invincible, sweeping along, no mercy we sought nor we gave;</p><p class="line">Dishonoured, they feared us and fell, and the land they transformed into Hell</p><p class="line">Is avenged, and our death, it was well-for withGlory we rode to the grave</p></div><p class="byline">Cecil Roberts</p></body></html> · Great War