The Sun Is Also a Warrior

Two men walked on the beach in the sun
One left footprints, the other left none
One was a man that no man obeys
The other, a god from the ancient days
«Look,» said the man, «how my kind make war
I summoned you here to ask what for»
«For wealth or land,» the god replies
«For life, or freedom, or some king’s lies»
The sun is also a warrior
Knowledge can also destroy
Nor can the kindest will
Preserve you from the kill
Not all of wisdom brings joy
«Four of those five,» the first one said
Are not enough to appease the dead
To save my world, all this strife must cease
So now I bid you to conjure peace"
The god said, «Yes, though it grieves me sore
For I was also a god of war
And I remember what you forget
Four of those five you may still regret»
The sun is also a warrior
Knowledge can also destroy
Nor can the kindest will
Preserve you from the kill
Not all of wisdom brings joy
He raised his voice and he raised his hand
All strife stopped at the god’s command
No voice ventured an angry word
No hand struck and no weapon stirred
In time, the man called the old god back
«Look,» he cried, «what my people lack!
One lord rules over all the earth
And we’re all his slaves from the hour of birth»
The sun is also a warrior
Knowledge can also destroy
Nor can the kindest will
Preserve you from the kill
Not all of wisdom brings joy
«Look, he owns all wealth, and he owns all land
We starve and die under his command
He speaks the truth and he gives us peace
But all that I hope for is our release»
The old god said, «This is what you willed
Only thus, is your wish fulfilled
War’s five sources I took away
Yet I will give four of them back today.»
The sun is also a warrior
Knowledge can also destroy
Nor can the kindest will
Preserve you from the kill
Not all of wisdom brings joy
He raised his hand and his voice once more
And all the world overturned in war
And when the last of those fires let fall
There was no lord in the world at all
«Go rebuild now,» the old god said
«Feed the living and bury the dead
And remember this when you speak of war
And think upon what is worth fighting for»
The sun is also a warrior
Knowledge can also destroy
Nor can the kindest will
Preserve you from the kill
Not all of wisdom brings joy
Not all of wisdom brings joy