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Poems

Narrative and Lyrical: By Edwin Arnold
 

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139

LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ.

Ye fought for justice, and ye won it not!
Ye bled for freedom, and ye are not free!
Why will ye mock your mis-appointed lot
With songs of joy and words of jubilee?
Tear the brave blazon down! the palace halls
Ye thrust a king from, hold a king again!
Ye let God's light into the dungeon walls;
Like ye the clanking of the mended chain?
Small right ye have to breathe these holy words,
Ye that on Triumph's threshold turned away;
Losing with smiles all that ye won with swords,
Pawning your honour for a holiday.
Lower ye cannot sink; be this your pride,
Wave the red rag, and waste your fickle breath!
The triple watchword is for those that died—
Not ye that live!—yes!—Liberty is Death.