Page:Fifes and Drums, Poems of America at War, Vigilantes, 1917.djvu/109

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
FIFES AND DRUMS
103


Fighting!—What are they fighting, there, for?
       Eho!—Eho!—Pata, pata, plan!
To make men free men, now and evermore:
       Vive la—Vive la France!
The Kaiser and his kaiserlings they guessed that they would go
And ring the Paris Christmas bells, a-laying churches low;
But Papa Joffre beside the Marne stood up and said: No, no!
       A bas les Boches! Vive la France!
             Vive la—Vive la France!

Cheering!—What are they cheering, there, for?
       Hurrah!—Hurrah!—Hip, hip, hip, Hurrah!
Red, white, blue flags—flaming for the war:
       Vive la—Vive la France!
Jack Poilu he's a true lad, as Papa Joffre has tried;