War-song. Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (1719-1803). Miscellaneous. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. 1876-79. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes. Germany: Vols. XVII-XVIII

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Germany: Vols. XVII–XVIII. 1876–79.

Miscellaneous

War-song

Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (1719–1803)


Translated by W. Taylor WE met, a hundred of us met,
At curfew, in the field:
We talked of heaven and Jesus Christ,
And all devoutly kneeled;

When, lo! we saw, all of us saw,	5
The starlit sky unclose,
And heard the far-high thunders roll
Like seas where storm-wind blows.

We listened, in amazement lost,
As still as stones for dread,	10
And heard the war proclaimed above,
And sins of nations read.

The sound was like a solemn psalm
That holy Christians sing;
And by and by the noise was ceased	15
Of all the angelic ring;

Yet still, beyond the cloven sky,
We saw the sheet of fire;
There came a voice, as from a throne,
To all the heavenly choir,	20

Which spake: “Though many men must fall,
I will that these prevail;
To me the poor man’s cause is dear.”
Then slowly sank a scale.

The hand that poised was lost in clouds,	25
One shell did weighty seem;
But sceptres, scutcheons, mitres, gold,
Flew up, and kicked the beam.