Читать книгу Raemaekers' Cartoons: With Accompanying Notes by Well-known English Writers - Louis Raemaekers - Страница 14

Table of Contents

"MY SON, GO AND FIGHT FOR YOUR MOTHERLAND!"

England's your Mother! Let your life acclaim

Her precious heart's blood flowing in your heart;

Take ye the thunder of her solemn name

Upon your lips with reverence; play your part

By word and deed

To shield and speed

The far-flung splendour of her ancient fame.

England's your Mother! Shall not you, her child,

Quicken the everlasting fires that glow

Upon your birthright's altar? England smiled

Beside your cradle, trusting you to show,

With manhood's might,

The undying light

That points the road her free-born spirits go.

England's your Mother! Man, forget it not

Wherever on the wide-wayed earth your fate

Calls you to labour; whatsoe'er your lot

In service, or in power, in stress or state—

Whate'er betide,

With humble pride,

Remember! By your Mother you are great.

England's your Mother! What though dark the day

Above the storm-swept frontier that you tread?

Her vanished children throng the glorious way;

A myriad legions of her living dead

Those starry trains

That shared your pains

Shall set their crown of light upon your head.

England's your Mother! When the race is run

And you are called to leave your life and die,

Small matter what is lost, so this be won:

An after-glow of blessed memory,

Gracious and pure,

In witness sure

"England was this man's Mother: he, her son."

EDEN PHILLPOTTS.