Majuba Day! Majuba Day!
Here’s a health to Bobs and his force to-day!
For the wiped-out shame from Britannia’s fame,
And the work they wrought on Majuba Day!
Your burghers held high festival
Because of what has been, they say,
With gleeful sports and pastimes, Paul,
In honour of Majuba Day.
Or did you think amid it all
Of what was passing far away?
O did you even wonder, Paul,
How Cronje spent Majuba Day?
You’ll struggle yet to dupe them all,
With scheming heart, and lips that pray:
Perhaps you hope a little, Paul,
To keep away the reckoning-day.
Of this be sure, — whate’er befall,
Whate’er you hide, what e’er you say,
Your hour of triumph’s over, Paul,
Your glorying in Majuba Day.
We stumbled; but we did not fall:
A bitter debt we’ve had to pay:
We’ve deeply drunk of sorrow, Paul,
Since that first dark Majuba Day.
Our turn has come, in spite of all,
Our time to wipe the stain away:
O well you speak so proudly, Paul,
When next comes round Majuba Day?
Majuba Day! Majuba Day!
Here’s a health to Bobs and his force to-day!
For the wiped-out shame from Britannia’s fame,
And the work they wrought on Majuba Day!
(Cicely Fox Smith)
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Based on Topics: Sadness Poems, Work & Career Poems, Fame Poems, Curiosity Poems, Honor Poems, Health PoemsBased on Keywords: gleeful, dupe, burghers, pastimes, bobs, glorying, majuba, wiped-out, cronje, reckoning-day