TO FRANCE — 1917.

The sea that kisses France's shore,

It beats on yours and mine.

Her love and faith and chivalry,

That sparkle as her wine,

With all our faith and all our love

Commingling combine.

The colors of the flag of France

Are ours by hue and hue:

The blazing red of courage —

The white of purpose true,

And constancy and loyalty

Awoven in the blue.

The spirit and the soul of France,

That shatter fetters free,

They came to us in darkest days

To weld our destiny;

And so with sword in hand we come

To pay our debt to Thee.

To pay our debt a hundredfold —

Friend of our new-born years.

To march with you and fight with you,

Till rise the final cheers —

And hand in hand, o'er a grave-strewn land,

We blend our mingled tears.

Where blends our blood as once it did

In days of a long gone

When the Bourbon lilies leapt and gleamed

Among the Stars on high —

And the white and crimson bands of dawn

Rose in the eastern sky.

And the the white and crimson bands of dawn,

And the Stars that glow and glance,

Shall girdle them their armor on,

With buckler, sword, and lance,

And leap to the charge and sweep the field

With the Trois Couleurs of France,

If right is might and Honor lives —

Oh Sister?‘ cross the seas —

And Liberty and Justice still

Hold high commune with these;

A four-fold vengeans waits the Hun,

And his iniquities.