If you have no army —
Invaders will come.
An army
Must be fed.
Workers and agrarians—
Are true traitors,
When they rarely
Agree to give to it.

A powerful army —
Temptation to aggression.
Imperial ambitions,
A regime’s dictate.
Who is your power?
Who are you yourself after all?
With whom are your coalitions?
Yours alone to choose.

You long for peace,
You will not kill
And your own soul
You will keep above all.
But the sharp axe
You will take from the pantry,
For those you love
You will lay down your life.