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I Murder Hate By Field Or Flood

 

Burns Original

Standard English Translation

1.
I murder hate by field or flood,
Tho' Glory's name may screen us.
In wars at hame I'll spend my blood -
Life-giving wars of Venus.
The deities that I adore
Are Social Peace and Plenty:
I'm better pleas'd to make one more
Than be the death of twenty.
2.
I would not die like Socrates,
For all the fuss of Plato;
Nor would I with Leonidas,
Nor yet would I with Cato;
The zealots of the Church and State
Shall ne'er my mortal foes be;
But let me have bold Zimri's fate
Within the arms of Cozbi.


I murder hate by field or flood,
Though Glory's name may screen us.
In wars at home I will spend my blood -
Life-giving wars of Venus.
The deities that I adore
Are Social Peace and Plenty:
I am better pleased to make one more
Than be the death of twenty.

I would not die like Socrates,
For all the fuss of Plato;
Nor would I with Leonidas,
Nor yet would I with Cato;
The zealots of the Church and State
Shall never my mortal foes be;
But let me have bold Zimri's fate
Within the arms of Cozbi.

 

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