Classic Poem

Within the waggon-laagered space —
Outspanned upon the veld —
With reverent and upturned face
The Boer Commando knelt!
Whilst in each heaving bosom
Iron resolution dwelt!

With roer and ammunition-horn
Beside the bended knee,
The burghers on that fateful morn
Prayed God that they might be
From Dingaan's power delivered;
And his savage impis flee.

Then, standing on a carronade,
One foot upon its wheel,
Sarel Celliers to heaven made
His passionate appeal!
" Jehovah! God of Battles!
Hear the folk as now they kneel!

" As Israel in the Wilderness
Called loudly on Thy name,
And did with prayer their sins confess,
So now do we the same,
Rememb'ring, God Almighty,
That to them Thine answer came.

" O'er countless leagues of trackless veld,
Lord, Thou hast been our Guide;
But now our hearts within us melt,
If Thou Thy face dost hide —
We have none other Helper
Than the Lord our God beside!

" Our farms and " lands " lie desolate!
Our kraals are cattle-bare!
Lord, must we bow before our fate
And still for worse prepare?
Nay! lead our van of battle
And the spoils shall be our share!

" As Rachel for her children wept,
Our tears so Grief compels,
For o'er our heads its wave hath swept,
Till, Lord, our faith rebels!
The Willows of our Sorrow
Droop by Marah's bitter wells!

" Lord, wilt Thou not our pangs assuage
And send us peace again?
Why round us do the heathen rage
And count their victims slain?
Why should the folk distrust Thee
And imagine a thing vain?

" " Sword of the Lord and Gideon! "
Hear it, O God of Hosts! —
That battle-cry which vict'ry won
And shamed proud Midian's boasts
To-day we make the Watchword
Of our Borders and our Coasts!

" God! who accepted Jephtha's vow,
Our own to-day record!
Vouchsafe to us the vict'ry now,
And steel th' avenging sword!
Then shall this day, for ever,
Be kept holy for the Lord.

" As Jacob did of olden days
His Bethel-stone uprear,
So shall this troubled people raise —
Vowed on their Bow and Spear —
To Thee a Tabernacle,
If their way Thou makest clear!

" To Thee, in name of all the folk,
I stretch uplifted hands!
Ne'er shall our sons this vow revoke
But follow our commands!
We kneel, Lord, making promise —
Vowed to-day, it ever stands."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

God heard the people's bitter cry,
Appealing and devout —
Lo! Dingaan's vanquished impis fly!
Loud rings the victors' shout,
For scattered are the savage foe
Who compassed them about.

The vow the old Voortrekkers vowed
Their children straitly keep!
Then was our heritage endowed —
Now we the harvest reap —
And surely, there they know it
In the veld-graves where they sleep!