The Charge of the Lib Brigade

I.

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

Into the Sheldon Marshall,

Strode the six Liberals.

“Forward, the Liberals!

Charge for the boards!” Kirby said.

Into the Sheldon Marshall

Strode the six Liberals.

II.

“Forward, the Lib Brigade!”

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though a player knew,

Someone had blundered.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to blitz and die.

Into the Sheldon Marshall

Strode the six Liberals.

III.

Gambits to right of them,

Gambits to left of them,

Gambits in front of them

Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with fork and pin,

Boldly they played to win,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

Strode the six Liberals.

IV.

Flashed all their combinations bare,

Flashed as they turned in air

Fianchettoing the opponents there,

Playing their pieces, while

All Pall Mall wondered.

Plunged into the tactical smoke

Right through to the seventh rank they broke;

RAC and MCC

Reeled from the end-game stroke,

   Shattered and sundered.

Then they rode back, but not

Not the six Liberals.

V.

Gambits to right of them,

Gambits to left of them,

Gambits behind them

Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with fork and pin,

The Libs struggled not to cave in.

They that had fought so well

Came through the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of hell,

All that was left of them,

   Left of the six Liberals.

VI.

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

    All the world wondered.

Honour the blitz they played!

Honour the Lib Brigade,

    Noble six Liberals!