<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="left" class="head">Beaumont-Hamel</h1><h1 align="center" class="head"><em>Captured, November 16th,</em> 1916</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="subhead">1</p><p class="line">DEAD men at Beaumont</p><p class="line">In the mud and rain.</p><p class="line">You that were so warm once,</p><p class="line">Flesh and blood and brain,</p><p class="line">You've made an end of dying,</p><p class="line">Hurts and cold and crying,</p><p class="line">And all but quiet lying</p><p class="line">Easeful after pain.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="subhead">2</p><p class="line">Dead men at Beaumont,</p><p class="line">Do you dream at all</p><p class="line">When the leaves of summer</p><p class="line">Ripen to their fall?</p><p class="line">Will you walk the heather,</p><p class="line">Feel the Northern weather,</p><p class="line">Wind and sun together,</p><p class="line">Hear the grouse-cock call?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="subhead">3</p><p class="line">Maybe in the night-time</p><p class="line">A shepherd boy will see</p><p class="line">Dead men, and ghastly,</p><p class="line">Kilted to the knee,</p><p class="line">Fresh from new blood-shedding,</p><p class="line">With airy footsteps treading,</p><p class="line">Hill and field and steading,</p><p class="line">Where they used to be.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="subhead">4</p><p class="line">Nay, not so I see you,</p><p class="line">Dead friends of mine;</p><p class="line">But like a dying pibroch</p><p class="line">From the battle-line</p><p class="line">I hear your laughter ringing,</p><p class="line">And the sweet songs you're singing,</p><p class="line">And the keen words winging</p><p class="line">Across the smoke and wine.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="subhead">5</p><p class="line">So we still shall see you,</p><p class="line">Be it peace or war,</p><p class="line">Still in all adventures</p><p class="line">You shall go before.</p><p class="line">And our children dreaming,</p><p class="line">Shall see your bayonets gleaming,</p><p class="line">Scotland's warriors streaming</p><p class="line">Forward evermore.</p></div></body></html> · Great War