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They paid the price to reach their goal Across a world in flame;

But their own hate slew their own soul Before that victory came.

THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN

1899

TAKE up the White Man's burdenSend forth the best ye breed

Go bind your sons to exile

To serve your captives' need; To wait in heavy harness,

On fluttered folk and wildYour new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.

Take up the White Man's Burden-
In patience to abide,

To veil the threat of terror

And check the show of pride;

By open speech and simple,

An hundred times made plain,

To seek another's profit,

And work another's gain.

Take up the White Man's burden-
The savage wars of peace-
Fill full the mouth of Famine

And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch Sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hope to nought.

Take up the White Man's burden-
No tawdry rule of kings,

But toil of serf and sweeper-
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go make them with your living,
And mark them with your dead.

Take up the White Man's burden-
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard—
The cry of hosts ye humour

(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:"Why brought ye us from bondage, "Our loved Egyptian night?"

Take up the White Man's burden-
Ye dare not stoop to less-
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,

The silent, sullen peoples

Shall weigh your Gods and you.

Take up the White Man's burden-
Have done with childish days—
The lightly proffered laurel,

The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers!

HYMN BEFORE ACTION

1896

THE earth is full of anger,

The seas are dark with wrath,

The Nations in their harness
Go up against our path:
Ere yet we loose the legions-
Ere yet we draw the blade,
Jehovah of the Thunders,

Lord God of Battles, aid!

High lust and forward bearing,
Proud heart, rebellious brow-
Deaf ear and soul uncaring,
We seek Thy mercy now!
The sinner that forswore Thee,
The fool that passed Thee by,
Our times are known before Thee-
Lord, grant us strength to die!

For those who kneel beside us
At altars not Thine own,
Who lack the lights that guide us,
Lord, let their faith atone!

If wrong we did to call them,

By honour bound they came; Let not Thy Wrath befall them, But deal to us the blame.

From panic, pride, and terror,
Revenge that knows no rein,
Light haste and lawless error,
Protect is yet again

Cloke Thou our undeserving,
Make firm the shuddering breath,
In silence and unswerving
To taste Thy lesser death!

Ah, Mary pierced with sorrow,
Remember, reach and save
The soul that comes to-morrow
Before the God that gave!
Since each was born of woman,
For each at utter need-
True comrade and true foeman—
Madonna, intercede!

E'en now their vanguard gathers,
E'en now we face the fray-
As Thou didst help our fathers,
Help Thou our host to-day.
Fulfilled of signs and wonders,
In life, in death made clear-
Jehovah of the Thunders,

Lord God of Battles, hear!

A SONG AT COCK-CROW

1918

"Ille autem iterum negavit."

THE first time that Peter denied his Lord

He shrank from the cudgel, the scourge and the cord,

But followed far off to see what they would do,

Till the cock crew-till the cock crew

After Gethsemane, till the cock crew!

The first time that Peter denied his Lord
'Twas only a maid in the palace who heard,
As he sat by the fire and warmed himself through.
Then the cock crew! Then the cock crew!

(“Thou also art one of them.") Then the cock crew!

The first time that Peter deniéd his Lord

He had neither the Throne, nor the Keys nor the Sword-
A poor silly fisherman, what could he do,

When the cock crew-when the cock crew-
But weep for his wickedness when the cock crew?

The next time that Peter denied his Lord

He was Fisher of Men, as foretold by the Word,
With the Crown on his brow and the Cross on his shoe,
When the cock crew-when the cock crew-

In Flanders and Picardy when the cock crew!

The next time that Peter denied his Lord

'Twas Mary the Mother in Heaven Who heard,

And She grieved for the maidens and wives that they slew When the cock crew-when the cock crew

At Tirmonde and Aerschott when the cock crew!

The next time that Peter denied his Lord
The Babe in the Manger awakened and stirred,
And He stretched out His arms for the playmates
He knew-

When the cock crew-when the cock crew-
But the waters had covered them when the cock crew!

The next time that Peter denied his Lord
'Twas Earth in her agony waited his word,
But he sat by the fire and naught would he do,
Though the cock crew-though the cock crew-
Over all Christendom, though the cock crew!

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