War is hell!--war is hell!--
This is what the war-men yell
Yet they love to be in hell,
Love to hear the iron hail
Strike, till even strong men quail;
Love the dying soldier's knell,
Ringing shot and shrieking shell,
Love to hear the battle-cry,
Love to see men fight and die
With the struggle in their eye--
War is hell--war is hell,--
This is what the war-men yell.
War is wrong--war is wrong;
This the burden of my song:
War is wrong--war is wrong--
Sound the pean, human tongue;
Let the message far be flung--
Sound it, sound it heaven-high,
Sound it to the starry sky,
And Heaven, repeat the echoing,
Till all the earth of peace shall sing.
Peace loves day, but war loves night;
Peace loves calmness, war--to fight
In the wrong or in the right;
Peace the hungry man gives bread,
War would give a stone instead;
Peace is honest--not so war,
Crying--any way is fair;
Peace loves life--War loves the dead
With a halo overhead;
Peace pleads justice--War cries might
In the wrong or in the right;
Peace pleads--love your fellow-man,
War cries--kill him if you can;
Peace no evil thing would slight,
Yet while daring dares not fight,
Knowing might makes nothing right;
Peace means liberty and life,
War means enmity and strife;
Peace means plenty, peace means power,
War means--hell, and would devour
All who do not trust its power;
Peace means joy and love tomorrow,
War means hatred, death and sorrow;
Peace says--Bless you--men are brothers,
War says--Damn you, and all others.
War is hell, war is hell!--
This is what the war-men yell;
War is wrong, war is wrong--
This the burden of my song;
War is wrong, war is wrong,
There never was a just one,
Never;
There never was a just one,
Never.
True as two from two leaves none,
True as days are never done,
True as rivers downward run,
True as heaven holds the sun,--
War is wrong, war is wrong,
There never was a just one,
Never;
There never was a just one,
Never--
Sound the message, human tongue,
Sound it, sound it heaven-high,
Sound it to the starry sky,
And Heaven, repeat the echoing
Till all the earth of peace shall sing.