In realms where sun did never set,
An empire vast, its borders met.
From ancient lands to ocean's tide,
Its influence spread both far and wide.

With sails unfurled and compass true,
Adventurers sought horizons new.
A legacy of trade and might,
Of cultures mingled, dark and bright.

In bustling ports and quiet fields,
Rich history and wealth it yields.
Yet shadows fall on paths once tread,
Of lives entwined, of blood once shed.

For power's tale is wrought with strife,
With conquests bold, and loss of life.
An empire's rise, a complex song,
Of right and wrong, both weak and...