Canto 155Hail to the fallen
Book 16. Part Seven - Pondicherry Circa 1927 – 1947
Hail to the fallen, the fearless! hail to the conquered, the noble!
I out of ancient India great and unhappy and deathless,
I in a loftiest nation though subject born, salute thee,
Thou too great and unfortunate! All is not given by Nature
5Only to Force and the strong and the violent. Courage and wisdom,
Steadfast will and the calm magnificent dream of thy spirit
Crown thee for ever, O Emperor! Fiercely by Destiny broken,
Cast from thy throne and defeated, forsaken, a wandering exile,
Far from the hills of thy land and thy fallen and vanquished nation,
10Yet has thy glory overtopped and the deathless pride of thy laurel
Conquered the conqueror’s, Haile Selassie, Lion of Judah.
France for her southern borders fearing spared the aggressor.
England the sea-queen, England the fortunate, England the victor
Fled like a dog from the whip of his menace yelping for succour,
15Loudly to Frank and to Greek and to Turk and to Yugoslav calling
“Help me! I dare not alone; he will shatter my fleet and my empire,”
You did not cower, O African people, you did not tremble.
Armed but with rifle and spear you fronted the legions of Caesar.
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20Statesman wise and beneficent, emperor, patriot, hero,
King of the Amharas, Haile Selassie, Lion of Judah.
Man is but man and the weapons of Hell are too fierce for his spirit,
Forged by the scientist burrowing deep in the bowels of Nature,
Death and destruction to draw from her torn from her anguished
25entrails,
Death for his kind, the destruction of earth and her high-aiming
peoples,
Engines for Satan to handle, tools for the mischief of Ate.