terça-feira, 29 de setembro de 2020

The Battle Hymn of the Republic, updated...


Escrito em 1900 por Mark Twain, sobre o imperialismo dos EUA, no contexto da guerra entre Filipinas e EUA, mas com alcance que infelizmente ainda perdura.


Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword;

He is searching out the hoardings where the stranger's wealth is stored;

He hath loosed his fateful lightnings, and with woe and death has scored;

His lust is marching on.


I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;

They have builded him an altar in the Eastern dews and damps;

I have read his doomful mission by the dim and flaring lamps—

His night is marching on.


I have read his bandit gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:

"As ye deal with my pretensions, so with you my wrath shall deal;

Let the faithless son of Freedom crush the patriot with his heel;

Lo, Greed is marching on!"


We have legalized the strumpet and are guarding her retreat;

Greed is seeking out commercial souls before his judgement seat;

O, be swift, ye clods, to answer him! be jubilant my feet!

Our god is marching on!


In a sordid slime harmonious Greed was born in yonder ditch,

With a longing in his bosom—and for others' goods an itch.

As Christ died to make men holy, let men die to make us rich—

Our god is marching on.


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Este poema foi efectivamente censurado durante muitos anos, tendo sido publicado apenas em 1958 (ao que nos diz a wiki-coisa).
O poema segue o tema original:


Aqui fica uma versão actualizada:


E ainda outra:



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