The Crusade - A Poem

My apologies for both lack of my usual Lenten Meditation post (I will try to post it soon!), and for the rather militaire rather than penitential nature of this particular poem - hopefully it is not too contrasting with the season...

***

Oh, how the cross's trumpets rang;

Hear what they had to say -

"Come over hill, come over dale,

Come march, we march away

To battle vice and win for Christ

Jerusalem, we pray -

Jerusalem, we pray!"

"As crimson as the blood we pledge

Is the red cross we bear -

Oh, come over hill, come over dale,

Come into the Eastern air,

To give your all for glory or fall

To give to our Host-King fair -

To give to our Host-King fair!"

Oh, have you heard the clarion call

That did so long ago

Come over hill, come over dale

To let all Christians know

Their time was for a godly war

Against all sin and woe -

Against all sin and woe?

And did you know that, although Time

Has since that holy ring

Come over hill, come over dale,

It still to all Christians sings:

"Standard unfurled, go purge the world

Of any unholy thing -

Of any unholy thing"?

And since, commanded, we must do

As we have thus been told,

Come over hill, come over dale,

Your courage and effort unfold

'Til our war-band may, hand-in-hand,

March into the gates of gold -

March into the gates of gold.