« Wright or wrong, my country first »
… et pourtant la Grande Bretagne porta main forte durant la première guerre mondiale à l’Europe et surtout à la Belgique. Environ 200.000 fugitifs Belges furent accueillis chaleureusement en Angleterre. 161.782 soldats Britaniques ont été enterrés ici. La même tragédie se répéta 25 ans plus tard, laissant 8.660 Anglais dans nos cimetières.
6. Gustav Holst geb. 1874 – Marut (Vidic Hymns)
[Marc & Hélène]
« Children of thunder, glorious Maruts…
chanting your war songs nearer ye come ! »
Le tonnerre du Brexit. L’Europe se complait dans une aire de paix à l’abri de frontières dépassant largement la superficie de l’Europe.
Mighty Warriors,
Children of Thunder,
Glorious Maruts,
Heralds of storm!
Through the gloom
Gathering round us
Ye and your horses
Appear in the sky;
Glowing like flames
From the holy fire
That springs from the altar,
Rising to God.
(2nd stroph omitted)Rushing onward
Hurling your weapons,
Chanting your war songs
Nearer ye come!
We would fain
Welcome you fitly,
But faint are our voices
And feeble our lays.
Come then, dwell within us,
With your power inspire our hearts,
Then shall our songs,
Like clouds expanding,
Carry your glory
Throughout the world.
7. Edward Elgar geb. 1857 – The war song
[Marc en Hélène]
« Now in peace…lie the dead side by side …as they fought »
Boris Johnson, connu pour son“non-conformisme“ et Nigel Farage ont été éconduits vers une porte de sortie. Primeminister Mme Kay a repris la direction des opérations. Les jeunes Anglais apprennent surmonter les difficultés „Let us face it“, ou miuex encore „keep smiling“. Puisse la paix régner en Europe et sur son pourtour.
Hear the whiz of the shot as it flies,
Hear the rush of the shell in the skies,
Hear the bayonet’s clash, ringing bright,
See the flash of the steel as they fight,
Hear the conqueror’s shout !
As the foe’s put to rout !
Hear the cry of despair
That is rending the air –
Now the neigh of a horse, now the bugle’s loud blast.
See! anger and pain, passion and shame,
A struggle for life, a thirst for fame.
Ah ! Glory or death, for true hearts and brave,
Honour in life, or rest in a grave.
Now the warfare is o’er, life is past,
Now in peace lie the dead, still at last ;
Bronzed and brown, wan and pale, side by side,
Side by side, as they fought, fell and died ;
There they lie, rank and pride,
Rags and wealth, proved and tried.
Youth and age, fear and trust,
Scarred and scorched, in the dust ;
Gone for ever their pain, anger, passion, and shame,
Gone! tumult and smoke, conflict and din,
Gone, anguish and trouble, sorrow and sin, –
Ah ! Glory or death, for true hearts and brave,
Honour in life, or rest in a grave