THE SONG OF FORGOTTEN HEROES

OUT of the furthest Eastward A cry through the Gates of Dawn, Borne to the ears of the dreamers Ere the pallid stars have gone. The song of forgotten heroes Of unavailing fight, Heard in the ghastly hush of sleep, In the shadow of Death and Night. The dead who died for honour, Who sought not the victors’ bays, Preferring the thorns of sacrifice To the fruits of ignoble days. The dead who died on the waters. Ah, sound and sweet they sleep! Who gave their lives for the love of men And their souls to the God of the deep. The dead who died in battle, Trusted and true and tried, Heading the ranks of a hope forlorn, By a great cause sanctified. The dead, the eager searchers, With daring sails unfurled, Whose blood is their seal and charter In the far, waste ends of the world. These are the men who sing it, In the shadow of Death and Night, This song of forgotten heroes Of unavailing fight.