Men Of Harligen

Men Of Harligen is an Orenian marching song and hymn, sung by members of The Imperial State Army. Authored originally by Sir Henry Marshall who upon witnessing his fellow soldiers throwing back the host during a fierce border skirmish during the Rubern War decided to put his thoughts upon paper to song. Indicative of the times when a majority of the Imperial State Army were quartered in Harligen outside of Helena, the soldiers had come to refer to themselves as Men of Harligen, thus the title of the piece.

Lyrics

Usually accompanied by a trumpeter the steady beat of the marching song is carried by a drummer to keep the men in line:

Hark! I hear the foe advancing,
Ruric steeds are proudly prancing,
Axes in the sunbeams glancing,
Glitter through the trees.
Men of Harligen, lie ye dreaming?
See ye not their hatchets gleaming,
While ash trees brightly burning.
Flutter in the breeze?

From the lines rebounding,
Let the war cry sounding,
Summon all at Peter’s call,
The Nordling foe surrounding,
Men of Harligen, on to glory!
See, your banner famed in story,
Shout out to these devils crying.
"Oren scorns to yield!"

Mid the fray, see dead and dying,
Nordlings in the mud are lying;
All around, the bolts are flying,
Scatter sudden death!
Frighten'd Rurics are wildly Whining,
Brazen trumpets hoarsely braying,
Wounded men for ash tree praying,
With their parting breath!

See! they're in disorder!
Comrades, keep close order!
Ever they shall rue the day,
They ventured o'er the border!
Now the Nordling flees before us!
Vict'ry's banner floateth o'er us!
Raise the loud exulting chorus,
"Oren wins the field."