The Ballad of the Fourth Company
Just one mile, just one mile,
Just one mile onward,
All in the living jungle
Pushed the one hundred.
"Forward, Fourth Company!
"Charge for the guns!" said he.
Into the jungle of Death
Pushed the one hundred.
Of the troops of Fourth Company
Not a one thought to flee;
Not though each soldier heard
The way the cannons thundered:
Theirs was not to make reply,
Theirs was not to reason why,
Theirs was but to do and die:
Into the jungle of Death
Pushed the one hundred.
Carbines to right of them,
Carbines to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they fought so well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Pushed the one hundred.
Flashed all their weapons bare,
Flashed as they turned in air,
Striking the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered;
Plunged in the fusil-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Danor's defenders
Reeled from the sabre stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they fell back, but not
Not the one hundred.
Carbines to right of them,
Carbines to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While our young heroes fell,
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of one hundred.
How great can their glory be?
Those we lost, those we see!
All the world wondered.
Honour their bravery,
Honour Fourth Company,
Noble one hundred.
