 | The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems |  |
160
WHEN THE CAPTAIN IS READY TO RIDE.
February 17, 1863.
Air—‘Was helfen mir tausend Ducaten, tra la.’
IN the morning when trumpets are sounding, tra la,
Our horses are quickly untied,
And fast down the road we go bounding—tra la,
Or over the meadow-land ride;
Our horses are quickly untied,
And fast down the road we go bounding—tra la,
Or over the meadow-land ride;
CHORUS.
For we are the boys of the sword,Who can jump from the bed or the board,
And be off like a shot to the skirmishing hot,
When the Captain is ready to ride.
‘Well, scout, have you something to tell us?’—tra la,
‘The rebels are hid by the hill,
And the fellows believe they can sell us—ah ha!
But I know of a road by the mill.’
‘The rebels are hid by the hill,
And the fellows believe they can sell us—ah ha!
But I know of a road by the mill.’
‘We'll give them no chances to turn on the heel,
We'll give them the powder and ball;
We'll give them the bullet, we'll give them the steel;
We'll give them the devil and all!’
We'll give them the powder and ball;
We'll give them the bullet, we'll give them the steel;
We'll give them the devil and all!’
161
Hurrah for the battle! Hurrah for a bout!
How we scatter the soldiers of sin!
When our cavalry spreads like a thunder-cloud out,
And drives like a thunderbolt in.
How we scatter the soldiers of sin!
When our cavalry spreads like a thunder-cloud out,
And drives like a thunderbolt in.
Hurrah for the men of the sword!
Who fight for the cause of the Lord!
Oh, the sabre's sharp edge is the entering wedge
In a war to let liberty in.
Who fight for the cause of the Lord!
Oh, the sabre's sharp edge is the entering wedge
In a war to let liberty in.
| The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems | |