| A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad. 1896. |
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| III. Leave your home behind, lad |
| | | The Recruit |
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| LEAVE your home behind, lad, | |
| And reach your friends your hand, | |
| And go, and luck go with you | |
| While Ludlow tower shall stand. | |
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| Oh, come you home of Sunday | 5 |
| When Ludlow streets are still | |
| And Ludlow bells are calling | |
| To farm and lane and mill, | |
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| Or come you home of Monday | |
| When Ludlow market hums | 10 |
| And Ludlow chimes are playing | |
| ‘The conquering hero comes,’ | |
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| Come you home a hero, | |
| Or come not home at all, | |
| The lads you leave will mind you | 15 |
| Till Ludlow tower shall fall. | |
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| And you will list the bugle | |
| That blows in lands of morn, | |
| And make the foes of England | |
| Be sorry you were born. | 20 |
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| And you till trump of doomsday | |
| On lands of morn may lie, | |
| And make the hearts of comrades | |
| Be heavy where you die. | |
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| Leave your home behind you, | 25 |
| Your friends by field and town: | |
| Oh, town and field will mind you | |
| Till Ludlow tower is down. | |
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