I saw the Prince of Darkness, with his Staff,
Standing bare-headed by the Cenotaph:
Unostentatious and respectful, there
He stood, and offered up the following prayer.
'Make them forget, O Lord, what this Memorial
Means; their discredited ideas revive;
Breed new belief that War is purgatorial
Proof of the pride and power of being alive;
Men's biologic urge to readjust
The Map of Europe, Lord of Hosts, increase;
Lift up their hearts in large destructive lust;
And crown their heads with blind vindictive Peace.'
The Prince of Darkness to the Cenotaph
Bowed. As he walked away I heard him laugh.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
I studied this poem for my A Level English exam when I was just 17. The imagery is so strong...60 now and it still sticks in my mind! Talk about 'hitting the nail on the head'!
It was on my final exam in high school half a century ago. I still dont know what it means.