It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism… Sunday morning came – next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there… Then came the "long" prayer… With shut lids the preacher… finished it with the words: "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God"… Do you think it's only one prayer? No, it is two – one uttered, the other not… Keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time… When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory… Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer…Listen!
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle … O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it — for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
Mark Twain, The War Prayer, 1904-1905

日本語: http://tonalestate.org/2010/07/マーク・トウェイン『出兵の祈り』/

Italiano: Erano tempi di grande…

Español: Eran tiempos de grande…

Français: On vivait une époque de grande…