THEY CAME FROM THE LOWER LEVELS
DEEP DOWN IN THE BRILLIANT MINE;
AUSTRALIA TODAY - 1916
FROM THE WASTES WHERE THE WHIRLWIND REVELS,
WHIRLING THE LEAVES OF PINE
ON THE WESTERN PLAINS, WHERE THE DARLING FLOWS,
(ANDREW "BANJO" PATERSON)
AND THE DUST STORMS WHEEL AND SHIFT,
THE TEAMSTER LOOSENED HIS YOKES AND BOWS,
AND TURNED HIS TEAM ADRIFT.
ON THE WESTERN STATIONS, FAR AND WIDE,
THERE'S MANY AN EMPTY PEN,
FOR THE RINGERS HAVE CAST THE MACHINES ASIDE
AND ANSWERED THE CALL FOR MEN
ON THE LUCERNE FLATS WHERE THE STREAM RUNS SLOW,
AND THE HUNTER FINDS THE SEA,
THE WOMEN ARE DRIVING THE MOWERS NOW,
WITH THE CHILDREN AT THEIR KNEE.
FOR THE MAN HAVE GONE, AS A MAN MUST GO,
AT THE CALL OF THE ROLLINGS DRUMS;
FOR THE MEN HAVE SWORN THAT THE TURKS SHALL KNOW
WHEN THE OLD BATTALION COMES.
COLUMN OF COMPANIES BY THE RIGHT,
STEADY IN STRONG ARRAY,
WITH THE SUN ON THE BAYONETS GLEAMING BRIGHT,
THE BATTALION MARCHED AWAY.
THEY BATTLED, THE OLD BATTALION,
THROUGH THE TOIL OF THE TRAINING CAMPS,
SWEATED AND STROVE AT LECTURES,
BY THE LIGHT OF THE STINKING LAMPS.
MARCHING, SHOOTING AND DRILLING,
STEADY AND SLOW AND STERN;
AWKWARD AND STRANGE, BUT WILLING
ALL OF THEIR JOB TO LEARN
LEARNING TO USE THE RIFLE;
LEARNING TO USE THE SPADE;
DEEMING FATIGUE A TRIFLE
DURING EACH LONG PARADE.
TILL AT LAST THEY WELDED
INTO A CONCRETE WHOLE,
AND THERE GREW IN THE OLD BATTALION
A KIND OF BATTALION'S SOUL.
BROTHERHOOD WAS NEVER LIKE IT,
FRIENDSHIP IS NOT THE WORD,
BUT DEEP IN THAT BODY OF MARCHING MEN,
A SOUL OF A NATION STIRRED.
AND LIKE ONE MAN WITH A SINGLE THOUGHT
CHEERY AND CONFIDENT;
READY FOR ALL THAT THE FUTURE BROUGHT,
THE OLD BATTALION WENT
COLUMN OF COMPANIES BY THE RIGHT,
STEADY IN STRONG ARRAY,
WITH THE SUN ON THE BAYONETS GLEAMING BRIGHT,
THE BATTALION MARCHED AWAY.
HOW SHALL WE TELL OF THEIR LANDING
BY THE HILLS WHERE THE FOE WERE SPREAD,
AND THE TRACK OF THE OLD BATTALION
WAS MARKED BY THE TURKISH DEAD?
WITH THE DASH THAT DISCIPLINE TEACHES,
THOUGH THE HAIL OF THE SHARPNEL FLEW,
AND THE FORTS WERE RAKING THE BEACHES,
AND THE TOLL OF THE DEAD MEN GREW.
THEY FIXED THEIR GRIP ON THE GAUNT HILLSIDE
WITH A PLUCK THAT HAS WON THEM FAME;
AND THE HOME-FOLKS KNOW THAT THE DEAD MEN DIED
FOR THE PRIDE OF AUSTRALIA'S NAME
COLUMN OF COMPANIES BY THE RIGHT,
TO THE BEAT OF THE ROLLING DRUMS;
WITH HONOURS GAINED IN A STIRRING FIGHT
THE OLD BATTALION COMES.
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