Death and destruction hurling, havoc to babes and wives,
Lord of the Toilers, hear us: Forgive us these broken lives.
Lord of the keen-eyed traders: our vessels went up and down,
Our shores were alive with traffic in village and mart and town,
But our harbors are red with slaughter, the markets in ruins lie,
Lord of the Toilers, hear us; forgive as we strike and die!
Lord of the peaceful Toilers, husbandman, craftsman, clerk,
Student and sage and trader, torn from the world’s good work,
Dead in the King’s arena, pawns who were not to blame,
Lord of the Toilers, hear us: end now the awful game!