Poem

Fighting Hard

by Henry Lawson · 1915

“The Australians are fighting hard in Gallipoli.”—Cable.
Rolling out to fight for England, singing songs across the sea;Rolling North to fight for England, and to fight for you and me.Fighting hard for France and England, where the storms of Death are hurled;Fighting hard for Australasia and the honour of the World!            Fighting hard.
Fighting hard for Sunny Queensland—fighting for Bananaland,Fighting hard for West Australia, and the mulga and the sand;Fighting hard for Plain and Wool-Track, and the haze of western heat—Fighting hard for South Australia and the bronze of Farrar’s Wheat!            Fighting hard.
Fighting hard for fair Victoria, and the mountain and the glen;(And the Memory of Eureka—there were other tyrants then),For the glorious Gippsland forests and the World’s great Singing Star—For the irrigation channels where the cabbage gardens are—            Fighting hard.
Fighting hard for gale and earthquake, and the wind-swept ports between;For the wild flax and manuka and the terraced hills of green.Fighting hard for wooden homesteads, where the mighty kauris stand—Fighting hard for fern and tussock!—Fighting hard for Maoriland!            Fighting hard.
Fighting hard for little Tassy, where the apple orchards grow;(And the Northern Territory just to give the place a show),Fighting hard for Home and Empire, while the Commonwealth prevails—And, in spite of all her blunders, dying hard for New South Wales.            Dying hard.
Fighting for the Pride of Old Folk, and the people that you know;And the girl you left behind you—(ah! the time is passing slow).For the proud tears of a sister! come you back, or never come!And the weary Elder Brother, looking after things at home—Fighting Hard! You Lucky Devils!            Fighting hard.
Sources, publication & text notesReference details
Canonical recordPOEM-000301
Copy-textLawson — My Army, O, My Army! and Other Songs (1915); selected digital copy-text retained exactly; first-edition scan controls manifestation and meaningful layout under D-180/D-208
Source recordSRC-000071
Rights determinationRGT-000493
Text statusCANONICAL TEXT READY
TranscriptionDIPLOMATIC_D208_D180

How texts and rights are verified →