I am a Lonely being, Scarred by
Swords, Wounded by iron, Sated
With battle-deeds, Wearied by blades²
Only the Defeated and Deserters go to
War: Cowards that run away and Enlist³
A good Army Commander doesn’t need
Special qualities, on the Contrary he can’t
Have the Highest Attributes: Love, Poetry,
Tenderness, and Philosophic inquiring Doubt⁴
All Murderers are punished – unless they Kill
In Large numbers, and to the sound of Trumpets⁵
Is he really Evil of Heart? Or what Lies & Threats
Lead him on the long March from his Home – and
Would he not really rather stay there in Peace?⁶
Where are the joys for which our Children
Charred, multiply the Carcasses of War?⁷
They Send forth men to Battle but No
Such men Return, and Home to claim
Their welcome come Ashes in an urn⁸
A Hapless Soldier’s sigh runs
In Blood down Palace-Walls⁹
Summer Grasses are all that
Remains of Soldier Dreams¹⁰
¹ Alfred Lichtenstein, Leaving for the Front
² Anglo-Saxon Riddle tr. Richard Hamer
³ Henry David Thoreau, Walden
⁴ Leo Tolstoy tr. Louise & Aylmer Maude, War and Peace
⁵ Voltaire
⁶ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
⁷ Ion Caraion tr. Dorian & Urdang, Song for the Occupation Time
⁸ Aeschylus tr. Philip Vellacott, Agamemnon
⁹ William Blake, London
¹⁰ Basho tr. Lucian Stark & Takashi Ikemoto, Summer Grasses