_Broke to every known mischance, lifted over all By the light sane joy of life, the buckler of the Gaul; Furious in luxury, merciless in toil, Terrible with strength that draws from her tireless soil; Strictest judge of her own worth, gentlest of man's mind, First to follow Truth and last to leave old Truths behind-- France, beloved of every soul that loves its fellow-kind!_ Ere our birth (rememberest thou?) side by side we lay Fretting in the womb of Rome to begin our fray. Ere men knew our tongues apart, our one task was known-- Each must mould the other's fate as he wrought his own To this end we stirred mankind till all Earth was ours, Till our world-end strifes begat wayside thrones and powers-- Puppets that we made or broke to bar the other's path-- Necessary, outpost folk, hirelings of our wrath To this end we stormed the seas, tack for tack, and burst Through the doorways of new worlds, doubtful which was first, Hand on hilt (rememberest thou?) ready for the blow-- Sure, whatever else we met, we should meet our foe. Spurred or balked at every stride by the other's strength, So we rode the ages down and every ocean's length! Where did you refrain from us or we refrain from you? Ask the wave that has not watched war between us two! Others held us for a while, but with weaker charms, These we quitted at the call for each other's arms. Eager toward the known delight, equally we strove-- Each the other's mystery, terror, need, and love To each other's open court with our proofs we came. Where could we find honour else, or men to test our claim? From each other's throat we wrenched--valour's last reward-- That extorted word of praise gasped 'twixt lunge and guard. In each other's cup we poured mingled blood and tears, Brutal joys, unmeasured hopes, intolerable fears-- All that soiled or salted life for a thousand years. Proved beyond the need of proof, matched in every clime, O companion, we have lived greatly through all time!