In The Forge

It rings, it rings
Through nights, through days,
The hammer brave,
It clangs, it clangs,
The bellows wheeze,
Fires blaze and blaze.
Not storm, not shell -
The smithy clang.

Sunbright the steel,
Sparkling the steel,
O mighty smith,
He strikes it - one!
He strikes it - two!
A valiant man,
A hero true!
Strike here, strike here!
Smite there, smite there!
To plough,
He'll forge
The share.

The coals burn true,
Like wrath, like rage,
Much toil remains,
Much work to do.
The pincers crack
Like bones again…
The smith sings loud,
The smith is glad…

Shoulder to shoulder
People stand,
Hardly believe
What eyes command.
The chest a-strain,
The arm smites grim,
For him a sickle,
Nails for him
And bang and cling,
One beauty lives,
Reaping time,
Reaper
And scythe.

Twist it and turn it,
There and here,
The whetstone rips
The rust-flakes clear.
There is no woe
Nor ill-fate, no!
Our nation lives!
Our nation strives!

Work, smith, by night!
By day, smith, strive,
An axe, honed bright,
An axe-man, give!
About the door
Folk wait your gift,
Temper if swift
And hone it swift.
Out with the old,
Out and away…
Sowing,
Sow then
A new day!

Years and ages
Tossed away,
To replace them
A new day.
Nearby, men swarm
Like gathered storm.
A happy day,
And all is rays.

Smite, then, smite,
Near this moot,
Give them, give
Enough of tools.
Young men, take,
Old men, take,
Running to wilds
Of briar and brake,
Be ready, go!
They went, they run!
Awake,
Your time
Has come!

Z. Biadula 1918