The Lord of Battles
I prayed—and my prayer was not granted.
For what did I pray? For the joys of life and of love, at last even for death.
But the Master of life answered me, saying:
"I give neither life nor death. I give the way to be marched, a quest and a call to arms.
I am the Lord of the battle; not the Lord of the slaughter;
I count the host of the fighters, not the host of the slain.
Life is the battle-ground of light and darkness.
And all of you are called to fight through the world for the glory of my presence;
For none can reach to me save by crossing the hordes of the night.
"I give neither joy nor pain; for the spoils of the day I care not;
Victory or defeat, life or death, are nothing to me;
I care only for the fighting of the good fight.
You shall wrestle with one or a hundred,
Defiant and glad and victorious still;
You shall die and not know it, swallowed up in victory,
As the fighting soldier knows not he is wounded to death.
"I am the Lord of battles, I give no gift save a challenge,
I answer no prayer but the prayer for arms;
Pray for a sword."