Warrior Poems

[Arthes]

I just found this and am listening to a wax cylinder recording of The Charge of the Light Brigade being read by Lord Tennyson....[url:trz6j4ou]http://charon.sfsu.edu/TENNYSON/lightbrigadewax.html[/url] hock:
regards
Arthes

[hoplite14gr]

Well when it comes to WW1 then Tomas Hardy :
"In Flanders fields were poppies grow..."
For WW2 then "Lili Marlen" what else could have been? It was translated in other languages-even russian!!!
But I stambled on Konstantinos Kavafis yesterday and because I am lazy to translate all:
"Honor to those that decide in their life to guard Thermopylae" from Ode to Thermopylae

"Say goodbuy to Alexandria that you loose" - from Mark Antony

"The common Greek tongue they had forgoten" from Poseidoneatae

But I cannot overcome Simonides no matter what:
"....Stranger go tell the Lakedemonians that here we lay, obedient to their decrees....."
This is the second best off topic thread. Thanks Christina
Kind regards

[john m roberts]

Paullus:
Find the 1945 Laurence Olivier film of Henry V to hear that speech the way it should be delivered. It's readily available.

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae (WW1)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[hoplite14gr]

Stand corrected for "flanders fields" :oops:
Yes John Sire Lawrence was the epitome of the Actor!
Although I prefer the King LEAR as he played it in his old age.
Kind regards

[Marius_Ursus]

This technically isn't a poem. It's a song by Iron Maiden, but it's about the Crimean War.

The Trooper - Bruce Dickenson

You’ll take my life but I’ll take yours too
You’ll fire your musket, but I’ll run you through
So when your waiting for the next attack
You’d better stand there’s no turning back

The bugle sounds as the charge begins
But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of arcrid smoke and horses breath
As you plunge into a certain death

The horse he sweats with fear; we break to run
The mighty roar of the russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground
And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won’t live to fight another day

We get so close near enough to fight
When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below

And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body’s numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan

[hoplite14gr]

Yes heavy metal ballads quolify as modern war poems.
Now two Greek poets
I) Aggelos Sikelianos :

Forward! In the Flames! Forward!
Let the blood flow like a fountain!
Total resurection or total anihilation!
Woe, to whoever tell us "Stop" The flushing river
will engulf him!

II) Kostis Pallamas - the movement of Parnassist poets

CRESENTO

Blow the trumpets...thunderus bells,
shake the whole country, end to end...
Growl, war drums...
Terible banners, unfold in the wind

Forward! With raised skyhigh
the torch of Liberty
you open the way, Hellas,
to Man. Forward!

The Greeks charge first
an all the othe peoples near You
- great Thy name-
calling thunderusly: Forward!

Forward to become the mighty
army that will vanquish,
in East and West,
the black snake, forward!

Forward and Hellas rose
and scatered the darkness!
Rise Humanity,
and follow her...Forward!

[andym]

What about Bless Em all"


They say there's a troopship just leaving Bombay
Bound for old Blighty's shore
Heavily laden with time expired men
Bound for the land they adore
There's many an airman just finished his time
And many a twerp signing on
They'll get no promotion this side of the ocean
So cheer up my lads, Bless 'em all
CHORUS
Bless 'em all, bless 'em all
The long and the short and the tall
Bless all the sergeants and WO Ones
Bless all the corp'rals and their blinking sons
For we're saying good-bye to them all
As back to the barracks we crawl
There'll be no promotion this side of the ocean
So cheer up my lads, Bless 'em all

Alternative Chorus
F**k 'em all, F**k 'em all
The long and the short and the tall
F**k all the sergeants and WO1's
F**k all the corporals and their bastard sons
For we're saying good-bye to the all
As back to our barracks we crawl
There'll be no promotion this side of the ocean
So cheer up my lads, f**k 'em all



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corvettes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bless 'em all, bless 'em all
These bloody corvettes are too small
In a rough sea they'll heave and they'll pitch
They'll make you as sick as a son of a bitch
And it's up to the railing you'll sprawl
And spew up that good alcohol
So, cheer up my lads, bless 'em all


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lancasters

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Lancaster leaving the Ruhr
Bound for old Blighty shore
Heavily laden with flak frightened men
Scared stiff and prone on the floor
There's many a bomber long finished his tour
There's many a plonk signing on
We'll get no promotion this side of the ocean
So, cheer up my lads, bless 'em all





The last 2 were added by the RN and RAF to the song.

[Tiberius Claudius Vindex]

A good song of Ireland that fits nicely into this topic:


The minstrel boy, to the war has gone
in the ranks of death you'll find him
his father's sword he hath girded on
and his wild harp he hat slung behind him

Land of song said the warrior bard
though all the world betrays thee
one sword at least thy right shall guard
one faithful harp shall praise thee

The minstrel fell though the foeman's steel
could not bring this proud soul under
the harp he loved naer spoke again for he tore its cords asunder

And said no chain shall sully thee,
thou soul of love and bravery
thy songs were made for the pure and free
and shall never sound in slavery...

Minstrel Boy by Thomas Moore

[Arthes]

Did somebody mention Iron Maiden.......one song I love

'My son ask for thyself another
Kingdom for that which I leave
is too small for thee'
(King Philip of Macedonia - 339 B.C.)

Near to the east
In a part of ancient Greece
In an ancient land called Macedonia
Was born a son
To Philip of Macedon
The legend his name was Alexander

At the age of nineteen
He became the Macedon king
And he swore to free all of Asia Minor
By the Aegian sea
In 334 B.C.
He utterly beat the armies of Persia

Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
Became a legend 'mongst mortal men

King Darius the third
Defeated fled Persia
The Scythians fell by the river of Jaxartes
Then Egypt fell to the Macedon king as well
And he founded the city called Alexandria

By the Tigris river
He met king Darius again
And crushed him again at the battle of Arbela
Entering Babylon
And Susa treasures he found
Took Persepolis the capital of Persia

Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
Became a god 'mongst mortal men

A Phrygian king had bound a chariot yoke
And Alexander cut the 'Gordian knot'
And the legend said that who untied the knot
He would become the master of Asia

Helonism he spread far and wide
The Macedonian learned mind
Their culture was a western way of life
He paved the way for Christianity

Marching on marching on

The battle weary marching side by side
Alexander's army line by line
They wouldn't follow him to India
Tired of the combat, pain and the glory

Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
He died of fever in Babylon

[hoplite14gr]

I need the collections name I must HAVE THIS ONE ASAP fro new year!!!!!!
Happy new year folks

[Salvianus]

Houseman heads into the maudlin at times, but the final stanza always gets me.

The Oracles

'Tis mute, the word they went to hear on high Dodona mountain
When winds were in the oakenshaws and all the cauldrons tolled,
And mute's the midland naval-stone beside the singing fountain,
And echoes list to silence now where gods told lies of old.

I took my question to the shrine that has not ceased from speaking,
The heart within, that tells the truth and tells it twice as plain;
And from the cave of oracles I heard the priestess shrieking
That she and I should surely die and never live again.

Oh priestess, what you cry is clear, and sound good sense I think it;
But let the screaming echoes rest, and froth your mouth no more.
'Tis true there's better boose than brine, but he that drowns must drink it;
And oh, my lass, the news is news that men have heard before.

The King with half the East at heel is marched from lands of morning;
Their fighters drink the rivers up, their shafts benight the air,
And he that stands will die for nought, and home there's no returning.
The Spartans on the sea-wet rock sat down and combed their hair.

A.E.Houseman, Last Poems XXV

[Arthes]

I need the collections name I must HAVE THIS ONE ASAP fro new year!!!!!!
Happy new year folks

The Iron Maiden album? It's called 'Somewhere in Time' released in 1986 and reissued in 1998 it says here...
Hi Salvianus... welcome to RAT
regards
Arthes

[hoplite14gr]

Thanks Cristina.
Happy new year lads and lasses!!! :lol:

[Arthes]

ELEGY FOR GERAINT
Welsh poem (c.AD 500)

Before Geraint, the enemy's scourge,
I saw white horses, tensed, red,
After the war cry, bitter the grave

Before Geraint, the unflinching foe,
I saw horses jaded and gory from battle,
After the war cry, a great driving force

Before Geraint, the enemy of tyranny,
I saw horses white with foam,
After the war cry, a terrible torrent.

In Llongborth I saw the rage of slaughter,
And biers beyond all number,
And red-stained men from the assault of Geraint.

In Llongborth, I saw the clash of swords,
Men in terror, bloody heads,
Before Geraint the Great, his father's son.

In Llongborth I saw spurs,
And men who did not flinch from the dread of the spears,
Who drank their wine from the bright glass.

In Llongborth I saw the weapons,
Of men, and blood fast dropping,
After the war cry, a fearful return.

In Llongborth I saw Arthur's
Heroes who cut with steel.
The Emperor, ruler of our labour.

In Llongborth Geraint was slain,
A brave man from the region of Devon,
And before they were overpowered, they committed slaughter.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, wheat their fodder,
Ruddy ones, swooping like spotted eagles.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, grain was given them,
Ruddy ones, swooping like black eagles.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, restless over their grain,
Ruddy ones, swooping like red eagles.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, grain-scattering,
Ruddy ones, swooping like white eagles.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, with the pace of the stag,
With a nose like that of the consuming fire on a wild mountain.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, satiated with grain,
Grey ones, with their manes tipped with silver.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, well deserving of grain,
Ruddy ones, swooping like grey eagles.

Under the thigh of Geraint swift chargers,
Long their legs, having corn for food,
Ruddy ones, swooping like brown eagies.

When Geraint was born, Heaven's gate stood open;
Christ granted all our prayer;
Lovely to behold, the glory of Britain.