The Ella Higginson Blog: "Surrender in Victory"

Surrender in Victory

Lord, we have made an honest fight
  And won the victory;
We fought as men who love the right,
  Fiercely and fearlessly;
And now we turn aside and give
  Our trembling thanks to Thee.

Lord, it is not for us to drink
  The salt cup of defeat,
And victory is glorious,
  And victory is sweet;
Yet still we bow our heads and lay
  Our laurels at Thy feet.

It is not for Americans
  To boast that they have slain
The heroes who have fought and bled
  For their belovéd Spain;
Nay,—help us to remember, Lord,
  That they have died in vain.

Not sweet can it be, Lord, to Thee,

  But grievous in Thy sight,
For nations to rise up in wrath
  And man with man to fight, —
Each thinking his the only truth,
  And his the only right.

But, Lord, the need was, and we fought
  Fiercely and fearlessly;
And still less sweet would it be now—
  More grievous—unto Thee
For us to blow the trumpet loud
  In boastful jubilee.

So check the tumult of our joy,
  And hush the rising cheers;
We have the splendid victory,
  And they the blistering tears;
For us the laurel wreaths; for them
  Defeat that burns and sears.

It is the time for thought; the time
  For noble silence, Lord;
To-day the mourning-dove of peace
  Thro’ all our land is heard;
To Thee alone Americans
Kiss and give up the sword.