III

The lads have all gone to the wars
to serve in the Red Guard ~
to serve in the Red Guard ~
and risk their hot heads for the cause.

Hell and damnation,
life is such fun
with a ragged greatcoat
and a Jerry gun!

To smoke the nobs out of their holes
we?ll light a fire through all the world,
a bloody fire through all the world ?
Lord, bless our souls!


XII

? On they march with sovereign tread?
`Who else goes there? Come out! I said
come out!? It is the wind and the red
flag plunging gaily at their head.

The frozen snow-drift looms in front.
`Who?s in the drift! Come out! Come here!?
There?s only the homeless mongrel runt
limping wretchedly in the rear?

`You mangy beast, out of the way
before you taste my bayonet.
Old mongrel world, clear off I say!
I?ll have your hide to sole my boot!

The shivering cur, the mongrel cur
bares his teeth like a hungry wolf,
droops his tail, but does not stir?
`Hey answer, you there, show yourself.?

`Who?s that waving the red flag??
`Try and see! It?s as dark as the tomb!?
`Who?s that moving at a jog
trot, keeping to the back-street gloom??

`Don?t you worry ~ I?ll catch you yet;
better surrender to me alive!?
`Come out, comrade, or you?ll regret
it ~ we?ll fire when I?ve counted five!?

Crack ~ crack ~ crack! But only the echo
answers from among the eaves?
The blizzard splits his seams, the snow
laughs wildly up the wirlwind?s sleeve?

Crack ~ crack ~ crack!
Crack ~ crack ~ crack!
? So they march with sovereign tread?
Behind them limps the hungry dog,
and wrapped in wild snow at their head
carrying a blood-red flag ~
soft-footed where the blizzard swirls,
invulnerable where bullets crossed ~
crowned with a crown of snowflake pearls,
a flowery diadem of frost,
ahead of them goes Jesus Christ.