Robert W. Service. Robert W. Service

justice and truth and love endure; that freedom’s throned on the height;

      That the feebler folks shall be unafraid; that Might shall never be Right;

      If this be all: by blood-drenched plains, by the havoc of fire and fear,

      By the rending roar of the War of Wars, by the Dead so doubly dear.…

      Then our Victory is a vast defeat, and it mocks us as we cheer.

      Victory! there can be but one, hallowed in every land:

      When by the graves of our common dead we who were foemen stand;

      And in the hush of our common grief hand is tendered to hand.

      Triumph! Yes, when out of the dust in the splendour of their release

      The spirits of those who fell go forth and they hallow our hearts to peace,

      And, brothers in pain, with worldwide voice, we clamour that War shall cease.

      Glory! Ay, when from blackest loss shall be born most radiant gain;

      When over the gory fields shall rise a star that never shall wane:

      Then, and then only, our Dead shall know that they have not fall’n in vain.

      When our children’s children shall talk of War as a madness that may not be;

      When we thank our God for our grief today, and blazon from sea to sea

      In the name of the Dead the banner of Peace … that will be Victory.

From Ballads of a Bohemian

      Prelude

      Alas! upon some starry height,

      The Gods of Excellence to please,

      This hand of mine will never smite

      The Harp of High Serenities.

      Mere minstrel of the street am I,

      To whom a careless coin you fling;

      But who, beneath the bitter sky,

      Blue-lipped, yet insolent of eye,

      Can shrill a song of Spring;

      A song of merry mansard days,

      The cheery chimney-tops among;

      Of rolics and of roundelays

      When we were young … when we were young;

      A song of love and lilac nights,

      Of wit, of wisdom and of wine;

      Of Folly whirling on the Heights,

      Of hunger and of hope divine;

      Of Blanche, Suzette and Celestine,

      And all that gay and tender band

      Who shared with us the fat, the lean,

      The hazard of Illusion-land;

      When scores of Philistines we slew

      As mightily with brush and pen

      We sought to make the world anew,

      And scorned the gods of other men;

      When we were fools divinely wise,

      Who held it rapturous to strive;

      When Art was sacred in our eyes,

      And it was Heav’n to be alive.…

      O days of glamour, glory, truth,

      To you tonight I raise my glass;

      O freehold of immortal youth,

      Bohemia, the lost, alas!

      O laughing lads who led the romp,

      Respectable you’ve grown, I’m told;

      Your heads you bow to power and pomp,

      You’ve learned to know the worth of gold.

      O merry maids who shared our cheer,

      Your eyes are dim, your locks are grey;

      And as you scrub I sadly fear

      Your daughters speed the dance today.

      O windmill land and crescent moon!

      O Columbine and Pierrette!

      To you my old guitar I tune

      Ere I forget, ere I forget….

      So come, good men who toil and tire,

      Who smoke and sip the kindly cup,

      Ring round about the tavern fire

      Ere yet you drink your liquor up,

      And hear my simple songs of earth,

      Of youth and truth and living things;

      Of poverty and proper mirth,

      Of rags and rich imaginings;

      Of cock-a-hoop, blue-heavened days,

      Of hearts elate and eager breath,

      Of wonder, worship, pity, praise,

      Of sorrow, sacrifice and death;

      Of lusting, laughter, passion, pain,

      Of lights that lure and dreams that thrall …

      And if a golden word I gain,

      Oh, kindly folks, God save you all!

      And if you shake your heads in blame …

      Good friends, God love you all the same.

      From “Book One: Spring”

      I

      MONTPARNASSE,

      April 1914.

      All day the sun has shone into my little attic, a bitter sunshine that brightened yet did not warm. And so as I toiled and toiled doggedly enough, many were the looks I cast at the three faggots I had saved to cook my evening meal. Now, however, my supper is over, my pipe alight, and as I stretch my legs before the embers I have at last a glow of comfort, a glimpse of peace.

      My Garret

      Here is my Garret up five flights of stairs;

      Here’s where I deal in dreams and ply in fancies,

      Here is the wonder-shop of all my wares,

      My sounding sonnets and my red romances.

      Here’s where I challenge Fate and ring my rhymes,

      And grope at glory — aye, and starve at times.

      Here is my Stronghold: stout of heart am I,

      Greeting each dawn as songful as a linnet;

      And when at night on yon poor bed I lie

      (Blessing the world and every soul that’s in it),

      Here’s where I thank the Lord no shadow bars

      My skylight’s vision of the valiant stars.

      Here is my Palace tapestried with dreams.

      Ah! though tonight ten sous are all my treasure,

      While in my gaze immortal beauty gleams,

      Am I not dowered with wealth beyond all measure?

      Though in my ragged coat my songs I sing,

      King of my soul, I envy not the king.

      Here is my Haven: it’s so quiet here;

      Only the scratch of the pen, the candle’s flutter;

      Shabby and bare and small, but O how dear!

      Mark you — my table with my work a-clutter,

      My