THE PAEAN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14287, 2 May 1917, Page 8

THE PAEAN.

The most thrilling spectacles were I provided by the British infantry leaping over the ta'enches m the grey dawn and rushing to the. attack, and thej droning- of the. low-flying aeroplanes making towards,, the i«iiejny, m the - midst of great flocks of rooks, fluttering and screaming m a devil's dance .abovekthe red flames. — War correspondent. A ;•,-,.- ' T ■ stood listening to the paean "~ With which the legioiied rook s did hail The^ sun's uprise majestical. \XX XX ' — Shelley. In'^FrSffce the legioned rooks do hail . The sun's uprise j That "shines on him who will not fail ■" But -rather \ dies ; TEe paean thp.t the world would hear Is of the free, And now the splendid day is near When it shall be. ,-Red flaanes of war have licked the sky ./In dreadful wise, But on the souls of them who die , The. : sun: will rise: Aid all: the legioned rooks will call, Above the dm, To all the men who fight and fall : "You die — you win." And every voice of all the earth . , Willi echo long The story of their countless worth, , The brave, the strong ; ,The story of high-hearted men ; Who only knew That death was near to them, and then .They saw at through. When Peace has crowned their conquering arms, They who return From that red test of war's alarms , Will greatly earn The brightest honor men can give ..' To those who strove To bid the light of freedom' live Our homes above. But still, m every morning breath That meteta the sun, The thought of them who lie m death, The men who won, Will, tremble m the waking Eaut And fill the heart With this, that for a world released. They played .their part. They have the cry of frightened birds .For requiem, But love and grief too deep for words Are ours for them. . For them who owned and paid a debt For England's sake, Who bought for us our freedom, let Tlio paeans wake. There is no valley-grave so deep, .-.He* hill so high, Where, m their last and well-won sleep, The soldiers lie, But, over all tlie muffled drums That dull the ear, Tlie sound of Freedom's paean comes for them to hear. ■ •;.,.■..». — Sydney, Sun.