Liebestod

A poem by Alan Seeger (1888-1916)

I who, conceived beneath another star,

Had been a prince and played with life, instead

Have been its slave, an outcast exiled far

From the fair things my faith has merited.

My ways have been the ways that wanderers tread

And those that make romance of poverty —

Soldier, I shared the soldier’s board and bed,

And Joy has been a thing more oft to me

Whispered by summer wind and summer sea

Than known incarnate in the hours it lies

All warm against our hearts and laughs into our eyes.

I know not if in risking my best days

I shall leave utterly behind me here

This dream that lightened me through lonesome ways

And that no disappointment made less dear;

Sometimes I think that, where the hilltops rear

Their white entrenchments back of tangled wire,

Behind the mist Death only can make clear,

There, like Brunhilde ringed with flaming fire,

Lies what shall ease my heart’s immense desire:

There, where beyond the horror and the pain

Only the brave shall pass, only the strong attain.

Truth or delusion, be it as it may,

Yet think it true, dear friends, for, thinking so,

That thought shall nerve our sinews on the day

When to the last assault our bugles blow:

Reckless of pain and peril we shall go,

Heads high and hearts aflame and bayonets bare,

And we shall brave eternity as though

Eyes looked on us in which we would seem fair —

One waited in whose presence we would wear,

Even as a lover who would be well-seen,

Our manhood faultless and our honor clean.

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Poems in English 

• Николай Огарев – Отцу by Николай Огарев
• Николай Огарев – Осеннее чувство by Николай Огарев
• Николай Огарев – Она никогда его не любила by Николай Огарев
• Николай Некрасов – Я посягну на неприличность by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Я не люблю иронии твоей by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Не рыдай так безумно над ним by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Взирает он на жизнь сурово, строго by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Вступление к песням 1876-77 годов by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Встреча душ by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Возвращение by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Вор by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Во вражде неостывающей by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Внимая ужасам войны by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Влас by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Весна by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Великодушный поступок by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Вчера, сегодня by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – В тоске по юности моей by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – В полном разгаре страда деревенская by Николай Некрасов
• Николай Некрасов – Дни идут… всё так же воздух душен by Николай Некрасов

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Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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