Sebastiano De Albertis, Italian
“Oh! Speaking of ‘Charge!,’ Remind Me To Plug In My Phone When We Get Back,” 1880
Oil on canvas
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Info, or perhaps links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here (can be read in full for free on Fridays), here, and here, perhaps in addition to what’s in his Wikipedia page (Google translated Italian Wikipedia page has more).
/// In the Charge of the Carabinieri
at Pastrego the gunfire is scary.
He who rides a white steed,
though it runs at high speed,
is a target— (the first they will bury).
/// The advance of the Piedmontese corps
toward the Austrians came with a roar.
They charge, kicking up dust,
through thick smoke and mist thrust,
rendered blind by the dull fog of war.
/// The foe’s sniper out there never slumbers,
so don’t pack any weight that encumbers.
If you wish to survive
to return home alive,
just remember, there’s safety in numbers.
/// A good soldier’s courageous and proud.
He’ll repeat the call “Charge!” clear and loud.
But the battleground gods
won’t give very good odds
to a man who stands out from the crowd.
/// The martyr who leads the attack
and the straggler who falls to the back
plus the brave volunteer
will less likely be here
than the grunts who blend in with the pack.
/// Into battle the brave Captain charges.
Far behind with the troops, that’s where Sarge is.
He’s a sensitive fellow,
more neurotic than yellow.
Hates the sound when a carbine discharges.
——— or ———
/// It’s a horse race with one simple goal:
Don’t be last to The Watering Hole.
That’s the local saloon,
where the thirsty platoon
drinks so much, loser goes on the dole.