And many have marched the Ypres trail
And many have marched and stayed
But the silent sentinels* sternly stand
And tell no tale of the hero band
Who have marched it undismayed.

And many have marched the Ypres trail
Through the winter’s rain and snow
When the grey mud splashed as they ploughed along
And the pave murmured a muffled song
To the measured beat and slow.

And many have marched the Ypres trail
When the birds sang sweet o’erhead
When the fields were wild with the joy of spring
And the columns rolled with a lighter swing
For the winter’s gloom was shed.

And many shall march the Ypres trail
And many shall see the sign
Of the shattered homestead, gaping bare,
Of the splintered giant’s grim despair
As it fell from its ancient line.

And many shall march the Ypres trail
With the ghosts of the thousands slain
But their deeds of worth will never die
And the trail will echo as they pass by
That their dying was not in vain.

And many have marched the Ypres trail
And many have marched and stayed
But the silent sentinels* sternly stand
And tell no tale of the hero band
Who have marched it undismayed.