Lo! the Boar-s tail is salted, and the Kangaroo-s exalted,
And his right eye is extinguished by a man-o--warsman-s cap;
He is flying round the fences where the Southern Sea commences,
And he-s very much excited for a quiet sort of chap.
For his ships have had a scrap and they-ve marked it on the map
Where the H.M.A.S. Sydney dropped across a German trap.
So the Kangaroo-s a-chasing of his Blessed Self, and racing
From Cape York right round to Leeuwin, from the coast to Nevertire;
And of him need be no more said, save that to the tail aforesaid
Is the Blue Australian Ensign firmly fixed with copper wire.
(When he-s filled the map with white men there-ll be little to desire.)
I was sulky, I was moody (I-m inclined to being broody)
When the news appeared in Sydney, bringing joy and bringing tears,
(There-s an undertone of sorrow that you-ll understand to-morrow)
And I felt a something in me that had not been there for years.
Though I lean in the direction of most absolute Protection
(And of wheat on the selection)
And, considering Congestion and the hopeless unemployed,
I-d a notion (but I hid it) that, the way the Emden did it,
-Twould be better for Australia if her -commerce� was destroyed.

You may say that war-s a curse, but the peace curse may be worse,
When it-s lasted till it-s rotten-rotten from the inmost core,
To the mouldy skin which we are, in the land we call the freer-
And I almost feel inclined to call for -Three Cheers for the War!�
For I think, when all is over, from Magellan-s Straits to Dover,
Things will be a great deal better than they ever were before.
But, since -Peace� and -Right� are squalling, I-ll content myself with calling
For three rousers-like the ringing cheers we used to give of yore-
For the Emden!
For the Sydney!
And their gallant crews and captains-both of whom we-ve met before!
And, for Kaiser William-s nevvy, we shall venture three cheers more!
Cheers that go to end a war.