“PARDON! he has no Engleesh, heem,
Il ne parle que FranÇaise,
I spik it leetle some Monsieur,
Vaire bad, j’en suis fÂchÉ—
Marines? Mais oui! I fight wiz zem
At ChÂteau Thierry
An’ on ze Ourcq an’ Marne in grand
Bon camaraderie.
I see zem fight at bois Belleau,
Like sauvage make ze yell,—
Sacre nom de Dieu! zoze sailor man
Eez fightin’ like ze hell!
All time zey smile when make ze push,
Magnifique zaire Élan,
Zey show ze heart of lion
For delight our brav Franchman.
An’ in ze tranch at rest, zoze troop
From ze Etats Unis
Queeck make ze good frien’ of poilu
Wiz beeg slap on ze knee!
Zey make ze song an’ joke, si drÔle
An’ pass ze cigarette;
Zey call us goddam good ol’ scout
Like Marquis La Fayette.
Next day, mebbee, again ze taps—
Ze volley in ze air.—
Adieu! some fightin’ sailor man
Eez gone West. C’est la guerre!
No more ze smile, ze hug, ze hand
Queeck wiz ze cigarette;
C’est vrai, at funerall of heem
Ze poilu’s eye eez wet.
But, every day like tidal wave,—
Like human avalanche,—
Ze transport bring more Yankee troop,
To get ze beeg revanche!
Zen from ze heart AmÉricaine
Come milliards of monnaie;
Eet eez ze end! Your country bring
Triomphant libertÉ.
So, au revoir! I mus’ go on
But first I tell to you
What some high Officier remark
Zat day at bois Belleau.
He says, our great Napoleon
Wiz envy would turn green
Eef he could see zoze sailor man,—
Zoze Uncle Sam Marines!”