Verses For The Dead

 

 When these gnerations are purged of dishonour
And hurl from their shoulders the shackles of bondage
And feed in their vitals the hunger for virtue,
The flashes of blood will illumine the millions
of graves of the fallen, then thundering armies
Will ride over clouds and the terror of terrors,
The third of the tempests will sweep through the country:
                 The dead turning homeward.

 

When men of this nation no longer are cowards
Or weaklings, but feel their vocation and mission,
Their hearts will decipher the message of heaven,
In dread beyond measure. Their hands will be lifted,
Their lips will be tunes to the homage of honour,
The flag of the king, the legitimate symbol
Will fly through the dawn and be lowered in praise of
                 The hallowed, the heroes!

STEFAN GEORGE Das Neue Reich (1928)