Italish Magazine Irlandesi Dentro
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which fought along Irish contingents in WWI. Ruari Jack Hughes, Australian writer and poet, a friend of ItalishMagazine since the very beginning of the project, wrote a poem to remember the Australian, Newzealanders and Irish soldiers as well.
“Anzac Cove” di Gdr di Wikipedia in inglese Later versions were uploaded by Gsl at en.wikipedia. – Trasferito da en.wikipedia su Commons.. Con licenza Pubblico dominio tramite Wikimedia Commons.
This year marks the centenary of the formation of this body, which took part in the bloody campaign of Gallipoli on the Dardanelles (which also participated Irish contingents), during the First World War, in April 1915.
The following is a poem about the event, dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who lost their lives and those who survived, at the cost of immense suffering, physical and psychological. A reflection against the war, but also in memory of those who took part.
In Australia, the commemoration is so heartfelt that is considered almost more important of the National Day of January 26th, which commemorates the landing of the first settlers from Great Britain.
The Song of ANZAC
Onward Christian soldiers, march to the song
Great adventure, a fine chance for glory
We had God on our side; what could go wrong
Straight backed and tall, we strode proudly along
Rifles at slant, sure of our victory
Onward Christian soldiers, march to the song
Out from the towns, forty thousand men strong
Down to the ships, sail into history
We had God on our side; what could go wrong
On a cold Sunday** morn, wretched and long
At Anzac we made our offertory
Onward Christian soldiers, march to the song
Death stalked gully and ridge, striking its gong
The stones cried out, refrain for our story
We had God on our side; what could go wrong
The sound of the bugle calls to the throng
Slow notes whispering valedictory
Onward Christian soldiers, march to the song
We had God on our side; what could go wrong.
**The landing of the ANZAC troops on the Gallipoli peninsula
along the west coast of the Dardanelles
occurred in the early morning of Sunday 25 April 1915.
