Soldiers are citizens of death's gray land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows;
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives.

I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.

In the valley of death, where the cannons roar,
Six hundred brave souls, they marched evermore,
With sabres drawn high, their spirits ablaze,
Riding into the fire, through the smoke and the haze.

Oh, Charge of the Light Brigade, in the face of the fray,
Valiant hearts, undeterred, led the way,
With courage unyielding, they stormed through the night,
In the annals of history, their names shining bright.

Born of the cavalry, the finest and bold,
Men of the Light Brigade, with stories untold,
From Britain’s green fields, to Crimea's dread shore,
They answered the call, to battle once more.

Forward, the order, no time for delay,
Into the jaws of death, they surged to obey,
With thunder and fury, the cannons did sound,
Yet onward they charged, on that blood-soaked ground.

Half a league, half a league, onward they rode,
Into the valley, where bravery flowed,
Broken but unbowed, through the heart of the fight,
Their legend immortal, in the eternal light.ght.

Cannon to the right, cannon to the left,
They fought through the fire, though so many bereft,
Boldly they rode, into the mouth of hell,
A story of valour, we’ll forever tell.

In the aftermath’s shadow, with echoes of pain,
Few returned homeward, but honour they gained,
The Light Brigade's charge, a testament to,
The brave and the fallen, the fearless and true.

Honour the charge, remember the day,
When six hundred heroes showed us the way,
With swords and with glory, they rode into fate,
The Charge of the Light Brigade, forever great.