But though the conquered Orient lay helpless, as his slave,
Of Alexander’s influence how much survived his grave? 
Of Rome’s prodigious armaments, to Asian conquests led,
Where is there now a souvenir save relics of the dead? 
And of the vast Crusading hosts, which in their madness rose
And hurled themselves repeatedly upon their Moslem foes,—­
What is to-day the net result?  A thousand years have passed,
But none of all their vaunted gains proved great enough to last;
The Saviour’s tomb, Jerusalem, and all the sacred lands
Connected with the Christian faith are still in Asian hands!

We needed rude awakening to rouse us from our sloth;
It came among our northern isles, whose heroes, nothing loth,
Unbarred their ports to modern fleets, their ancient life forswore,
And learned from greedy foreigners the Christians’ art of war. 
Behold! the world in fifty years is breathless with surprise,
And Europe’s greatest Government has sought us for allies! 
That little section of our mass aroused itself, and lo! 
Your largest Occidental Power has reeled beneath the blow;
And while our living troops receive men’s rapturous acclaim,
Our fallen heroes have attained the Pantheon of fame. 
Yet think not we deceive ourselves; you praise, but really dread
The valour of the Orient, if this awakening spread;
Behind this movement of the East you think you hear the low,
Long murmur of the Asians,—­“The foreigner must go”! 
What wonder that we hate you all?  You look on us to-day
As lions look on antelopes,—­their heaven-appointed prey;
You know you have no lawful right to lands that you possess;
You gained them all through violence, or lying and finesse;
Your cursed opium alone, despite our prayers and tears,
Has ruined millions of our race for more than two score years,
And when we rose indignantly to right that bitter wrong,
Your heavy guns bombarded us, and you annexed ...  Hong Kong! 
You force yourselves on us, and ask concessions, favors, mines,
Protection for your mission schools, and grants of railway lines,
But when we cross the seas to you, an entry you refuse,
And curse, illtreat, and harry us with loathing and abuse. 
Japan has shown the only way of keeping for our own
The fertile fields which rightfully belong to us alone;
We do not wish to arm ourselves, and fighting we abhor,
But self-protection forces us to learn and practise war.

Hence, if assailed, we shall not shun a struggle with the West;
Not bent on conquest, like yourselves, but, rising to the test
Of “Asia for the Asians”, defend our threatened farms
By sending to encounter you a million men in arms. 
You think yourselves invincible?  Learn something from Japan,
The fever of whose chivalry now spreads from man to man,
Encouraging the Orient to hasten on the day
When all enlightened Asians shall cry “Enough!