Page:Poems of the Great War - Cunliffe.djvu/141

 ��BROTHERS IN ARMS

When behind her violated border,

With unflinching bayonet and gun, Belgium, in heroic battle order, I Met the savage onset of the Hun ; ^Mien o'er league on league of peaceful tillage,

Under screaming showers of shot and shell, Into open town, defenceless village,

He let loose his shameless hounds of Hell ; \Mien Liege, henceforth a name immortal !

Perished fighting at his cannons' mouth, \Mien he seized Namur, and through her portal,

Drunk with fur>-, still went surging south ; \Mien with murderous rapine still unsated,

Sworn to bend them to his bloody yoke, On the French and British Arms belated

Wave on wave his braggart legions broke; WTien, outmarched before him, into distance,

Frank and Briton steadfastly withdrew, Though he could not pierce our proud resistance,

Break our firm-linked, friendly phalanx through ;

Then our country, roused to righteous reason By the battle-thunder at her gate,

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