<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Brothers in Arms</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">When</span> behind her violated border,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">With unflinching bayonet and gun,</p><p class="line">Belgium, in heroic battle order,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Met the savage onset of the Hun;</p><p class="line">When o'er league on league of peaceful tillage,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Under screaming showers of shot and shell,</p><p class="line">Into open town, defenceless village,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">He let loose his shameless hounds of Hell;</p><p class="line">When Liège, henceforth a name immortal!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Perished fighting at his cannons' mouth,</p><p class="line">When he seized Namur, and through her portal,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Drunk with fury, still went surging south;</p><p class="line">When with murderous rapine still unsated,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Sworn to bend them to his bloody yoke,</p><p class="line">On the French and British Arms belated</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Wave on wave his braggart legions broke;</p><p class="line">When, outmarched before him, into distance,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Frank and Briton steadfastly withdrew,</p><p class="line">Though he could not pierce our proud resistance,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Break our firm-linked, friendly phalanx through;</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Then our country, roused to righteous reason</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">By the battle-thunder at her gate,</p><p class="line">Flung abroad no foolish cry of treason</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">At the Rulers of her arms and State --</p><p class="line">Pardoned those whose eyes were proven blinder</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Than was Wisdom to the approach of war --</p><p class="line">Put her unpreparedness behind her,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Only bade us look, henceforth, before.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Therefore, every cry of party faction</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Into patriot silence fell away;</p><p class="line">Britain summoned all her sons to action --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Suffering Britain -- could we but obey?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Then the adamantine cable stretching,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Python-like across the ocean floor,</p><p class="line">Aid on aid from her far children fetching,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Bade her heart with hope beat high once more;</p><p class="line">Till the friends and foes whose fine derision</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Long had flouted her Imperial dream,</p><p class="line">Stood at gaze to mark the stately vision</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Rise incarnate o'er the ocean stream;</p><p class="line">Marvelling, while above the pine-fringed waters,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">While above the palm-set Austral earth</p><p class="line">At their Mother's call, her mighty daughters,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Sprang, as Pallas sprang, full-armed to birth;</p><p class="line">While, O proudest Page in all the story</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Of Imperial India's book of life!</p><p class="line">One by one each Princely Feudatory</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In our service arms him for the strife.</p><p class="line">Our retreat is stayed, and Frank and Briton,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Reinforced, leap forth to the attack --</p><p class="line">Now the smiter hip and thigh is smitten;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In defeat we roll him roughly back.</p><p class="line">Now again in anger dour he rallies,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And again assaults us flank and front;</p><p class="line">While his dead and ours o'er hills and valleys</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Mix amid the dreadful battle brunt.</p><p class="line">Up the slopes his batteries are crowning,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Foot by foot we dig our trenches in;</p><p class="line">Rise and charge and seize his cannon frowning,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Though we fall in swaths one gun to win.</p><p class="line">Trusting surely that how oft soever</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Back and forth War's crimson waves may flow,</p><p class="line">On our faithful, chivalrous endeavor</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Victory's full-orbed sun at last shall glow.</p></div><p class="byline">-- Alfred Perceval Graves.</p></body></html> · Great War