France at War: On the Frontier of Civilization. Rudyard Kipling

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      Ere our birth (rememberest thou?) side

      by side we lay

      Fretting in the womb of Rome to begin

      the fray.

      Ere men knew our tongues apart, our one

      taste was known —

      Each must mould the other's fate as he

      wrought his own.

      To this end we stirred mankind till all

      earth was ours,

      Till our world-end strifes began wayside

      thrones and powers,

      Puppets that we made or broke to bar

      the other's path —

      Necessary, outpost folk, hirelings of our

      wrath.

      To this end we stormed the seas, tack for

      tack, and burst

      Through the doorways of new worlds,

      doubtful which was first.

      Hand on hilt (rememberest thou?), ready

      for the blow.

      Sure whatever else we met we should

      meet our foe.

      Spurred or baulked at ev'ry stride by the

      other's strength,

      So we rode the ages down and every ocean's

      length;

      Where did you refrain from us or we

      refrain from you?

      Ask the wave that has not watched war

      between us two.

      Others held us for a while, but with

      weaker charms,

      These we quitted at the call for each

      other's arms.

      Eager toward the known delight, equally

      we strove,

      Each the other's mystery, terror, need,

      and love.

      To each other's open court with our

      proofs we came,

      Where could we find honour else or men

      to test the claim?

      From each other's throat we wrenched

      valour's last reward,

      That extorted word of praise gasped

      'twixt lunge and guard.

      In each other's cup we poured mingled

      blood and tears,

      Brutal joys, unmeasured hopes,

      intolerable fears,

      All that soiled or salted life for a thousand

      years.

      Proved beyond the need of proof, matched

      in every clime,

      O companion, we have lived greatly

      through all time:

      Yoked in knowledge and remorse now we

      come to rest,

      Laughing at old villainies that time has

      turned to jest,

      Pardoning old necessity no pardon can

      efface —

      That undying sin we shared in Rouen

      market-place.

      Now we watch the new years shape,

      wondering if they hold

      Fiercer lighting in their hearts than we

      launched of old.

      Now we hear new voices rise, question,

      boast or gird,

      As we raged (rememberest thou?) when

      our crowds were stirred.

      Now we count new keels afloat, and new

      hosts on land,

      Massed liked ours (rememberest thou?)

      when our strokes were planned.

      We were schooled for dear life sake, to

      know each other's blade:

      What can blood and iron make more than

      we have made?

      We have learned by keenest use to know

      each other's mind:

      What shall blood and iron loose that we

      cannot bind?

      We who swept each other's coast, sacked

      each other's home,

      Since the sword of Brennus clashed on

      the scales at Rome,

      Listen, court and close again, wheeling

      girth to girth,

      In the strained and bloodless guard set

      for peace on earth.