Justice by Rudyard Kipling
October, 1918 Across a world where all men grieve And grieving strive the more, The great days range like tides and leave Our dead on every shore. Heavy the load we undergo, And our own hands prepare, If we have parley with the foe, The load our sons must bear. Before we loose the word […]
Jubal and Tubal Cain by Rudyard Kipling
Canadian Jubal sang of the Wrath of God And the curse of thistle and thorn– But Tubal got him a pointed rod, And scrabbled the earth for corn. Old–old as that early mould, Young as the sprouting grain– Yearly green is the strife between Jubal and Tubal Cain! Jubal sang of the new-found sea, And […]
In the Neolithic Age by Rudyard Kipling
1895 I the Neolithic Age savage warfare did I wage For food and fame and woolly horses’ pelt. I was singer to my clan in that dim, red Dawn of Man, And I sang of all we fought and feared and felt. Yea, I sang as now I sing, when the Prehistoric spring Made the […]
In the Matter of One Compass by Rudyard Kipling
When, foot to wheel and back to wind, The helmsman dare not look behind, But hears beyond his compass-light, The blind bow thunder through the night, And, like a harpstring ere it snaps, The rigging sing beneath the caps; Above the shriek of storm in sail Or rattle of the blocks blown free, Set for […]
In Springtime by Rudyard Kipling
My garden blazes brightly with the rose-bush and the peach, And the koil sings above it, in the siris by the well, From the creeper-covered trellis comes the squirrel’s chattering speech, And the blue jay screams and flutters where the cheery sat-bhai dwell. But the rose has lost its fragrance, and the koil’s note is […]
If by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being […]
I Keep Six Honest… by Rudyard Kipling
I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who. I send them over land and sea, I send them east and west; But after they have worked for me, I give them all a rest. I let them rest […]
Hymn Before Action by Rudyard Kipling
The earth is full of anger, The seas are dark with wrath, The Nations in their harness Go up against our path: Ere yet we draw the blade, Jehovah of the Thunders, Lord God of Battles, aid! High lust and froward bearing, Proud heart, rebellious brow — Deaf ear and soul uncaring, We seek My […]
Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack by Rudyard Kipling
(From The Jungle Book) As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled Once, twice, and again! And a doe leaped up — and a doe leaped up From the pond in the wood where the wild deer sup. This I, scouting alone, beheld, Once, twice, and again! As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled […]
Helen all Alone by Rudyard Kipling
“In the Same Boat”–A Diversity of Creatures There was darkness under Heaven For an hour’s space– Darkness that we knew was given Us for special grace. Sun and noon and stars were hid, God had left His Throne, When Helen came to me, she did, Helen all alone! Side by side (because our fate Damned […]
Harp Song of the Dane Women by Rudyard Kipling
What is a woman that you forsake her, And the hearth-fire and the home-acre, To go with the old grey Widow-maker? She has no house to lay a guest in– But one chill bed for all to rest in, That the pale suns and the stray bergs nest in. She has no strong white arms […]
Half-Ballad of Waterval by Rudyard Kipling
(Non-commissioned Officers in Charge of Prisoners) When by the labor of my ‘ands I’ve ‘elped to pack a transport tight With prisoners for foreign lands, I ain’t transported with delight. I know it’s only just an’ right, But yet it somehow sickens me, For I ‘ave learned at Waterval The meanin’ of captivity. Be’ind the […]
Gunga Din by Rudyard Kipling
You may talk o’ gin and beer When you’re quartered safe out ‘ere, An’ you’re sent to penny-fights an’ Aldershot it; But when it comes to slaughter You will do your work on water, An’ you’ll lick the bloomin’ boots of ‘im that’s got it. Now in Injia’s sunny clime, Where I used to spend […]
Great-Heart by Rudyard Kipling
Theodore Roosevelt “The interpreter then called for a man-servant of his, one Great-Heart.”–Bunyan’s’ Pilgrim’s Process Concerning brave Captains Our age hath made known For all men to honour, One standeth alone, Of whom, o’er both oceans, Both peoples may say: “Our realm is diminished With Great-Heart away.” In purpose unsparing, In action no less, The […]
Gethsemane by Rudyard Kipling
1914-18 The Garden called Gethsemane In Picardy it was, And there the people came to see The English soldiers pass. We used to pass — we used to pass Or halt, as it might be, And ship our masks in case of gas Beyond Gethsemane. The Garden called Gethsemane, It held a pretty lass, But […]
Gentlmen-Rankers by Rudyard Kipling
To the legion of the lost ones, to the cohort of the damned, To my brethren in their sorrow overseas, Sings a gentleman of England cleanly bred, machinely crammed, And a trooper of the Empress, if you please. Yea, a trooper of the forces who has run his own six horses, And faith he went […]
Gehazi by Rudyard Kipling
1915 Whence comest thou, Gehazi, So reverend to behold, In scarlet and in ermines And chain of England’s gold?” “From following after Naaman To tell him all is well, Whereby my zeal hath made me A Judge in Israel.” Well done; well done, Gehazi! Stretch forth thy ready hand, Thou barely ‘scaped from judgment, Take […]
Fuzzy-Wuzzy by Rudyard Kipling
(Soudan Expeditionary Force) We’ve fought with many men acrost the seas, An’ some of ’em was brave an’ some was not: The Paythan an’ the Zulu an’ Burmese; But the Fuzzy was the finest o’ the lot. We never got a ha’porth’s change of ‘im: ‘E squatted in the scrub an’ ‘ocked our ‘orses, ‘E […]
Ford o’ Kabul River by Rudyard Kipling
Kabul town’s by Kabul river — Blow the bugle, draw the sword — There I lef’ my mate for ever, Wet an’ drippin’ by the ford. Ford, ford, ford o’ Kabul river, Ford o’ Kabul river in the dark! There’s the river up and brimmin’, an’ there’s ‘arf a squadron swimmin’ ‘Cross the ford o’ […]
For To Admire by Rudyard Kipling
The Injian Ocean sets an’ smiles So sof’, so bright, so bloomin’ blue; There aren’t a wave for miles an’ miles Excep’ the jiggle from the screw. The ship is swep’, the day is done, The bugle’s gone for smoke and play; An’ black agin’ the settin’ sun The Lascar sings, “Hum deckty hai!” [“I’m […]
For All We Have And Are by Rudyard Kipling
For all we have and are, For all our children’s fate, Stand up and take the war. The Hun is at the gate! Our world has passed away In wantonness o’erthrown. There is nothing left to-day But steel and fire and stone! Tough all we knew depart, The old Commandments stand: — “In courage keep […]
Follow Me ‘ome by Rudyard Kipling
There was no one like ‘im, ‘Orse or Foot, Nor any o’ the Guns I knew; An’ because it was so, why, o’ course ‘e went an’ died, Which is just what the best men do. So it’s knock out your pipes an’ follow me! An’ it’s finish up your swipes an’ follow me! Oh, […]
Farewell and adieu… by Rudyard Kipling
1914-18 Farewell and adieu to you, Harwich Ladies, Farewell and adieu to you, ladies ashore! For we’ve received orders to work to the eastward Where we hope in a short time to strafe ’em some more. We’ll duck and we’ll dive like little tin turtles, We’ll duck and we’ll dive underneath the North Seas, Until […]
Evarra And His Gods by Rudyard Kipling
Read here: This is the story of Evarra — man — Maker of Gods in lands beyond the sea. Because the city gave him of her gold, Because the caravans brought turquoises, Because his life was sheltered by the King, So that no man should maim him, none should steal, Or break his rest with […]
England’s Answer by Rudyard Kipling
Truly ye come of The Blood; slower to bless than to ban; Little used to lie down at the bidding of any man. Flesh of the flesh that I bred, bone of the bone that I bare; Stark as your sons shall be — stern as your fathers were. Deeper than speech our love, stronger […]
Eddi’s Service by Rudyard Kipling
Eddi, priest of St. Wilfrid In his chapel at Manhood End, Ordered a midnight service For such as cared to attend. But the Saxons were keeping Christmas, And the night was stormy as well. Nobody came to service, Though Eddi rang the bell. “‘Wicked weather for walking,” Said Eddi of Manhood End. “But I must […]
Doctors by Rudyard Kipling
1923 Man dies too soon, beside his works half-planned. His days are counted and reprieve is vain: Who shall entreat with Death to stay his hand; Or cloke the shameful nakedness of pain? Send here the bold, the seekers of the way– The passionless, the unshakeable of soul, Who serve the inmost mysteries of man’s […]
Divided Destinies by Rudyard Kipling
It was an artless Bandar, and he danced upon a pine, And much I wondered how he lived, and where the beast might dine, And many, many other things, till, o’er my morning smoke, I slept the sleep of idleness and dreamt that Bandar spoke. He said: “O man of many clothes! Sad crawler on […]
Delilah by Rudyard Kipling
We have another viceroy now, — those days are dead and done Of Delilah Aberyswith and depraved Ulysses Gunne. Delilah Aberyswith was a lady — not too young — With a perfect taste in dresses and a badly-bitted tongue, With a thirst for information, and a greater thirst for praise, And a little house in […]
Dedication by Rudyard Kipling
To the City of Bombay The Cities are full of pride, Challenging each to each — This from her mountain-side, That from her burthened beach. They count their ships full tale — Their corn and oil and wine, Derrick and loom and bale, And rampart’s gun-flecked line; City by City they hail: “Hast aught to […]
Dane-Geld by Rudyard Kipling
A.D. 980-1016 It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation To call upon a neighbour and to say: — “We invaded you last night — we are quite prepared to fight, Unless you pay us cash to go away.” And that is called asking for Dane-geld, And the people who ask ti […]
Cuckoo Song by Rudyard Kipling
(Spring begins in southern England on the 14th April, on which date the Old Woman lets the Cuckoo out of her basket at Heathfield Fair — locally known as Heffle Cuckoo Fair.) Tell it to the locked-up trees, Cuckoo, bring your song here! Warrant, Act and Summons, please, For Spring to pass along here! Tell […]
Cruisers by Rudyard Kipling
As our mother the Frigate, bepainted and fine, Made play for her bully the Ship of the Line; So we, her bold daughters by iron and fire, Accost and decoy to our masters’ desire. Now, pray you, consider what toils we endure, Night-walking wet sea-lanes, a guard and a lure; Since half of our trade […]
Covenent by Rudyard Kipling
1914 We thought we ranked above the chance of ill. Others might fall, not we, for we were wise– Merchants in freedom. So, of our free-will We let our servants drug our strength with lies. The pleasure and the poison had its way On us as on the meanest, till we learned That he who […]
Columns by Rudyard Kipling
(Mobile Columns of the Boer War) Out o’ the wilderness, dusty an’ dry (Time, an’ ‘igh time to be trekkin’ again!) Oo is it ‘eads to the Detail Supply? A sectioin, a pompom, an’ six ‘undred men. ‘Ere comes the clerk with ‘is lantern an’ keys (Time, an ‘igh time to be trekkin ‘again!) ” […]
Cold Iron by Rudyard Kipling
Cold is for the mistress — silver for the maid — Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.” “Good!” said the Baron, sitting in his hall, “But Iron — Cold Iron — is master of them all.” So he made rebellion ‘gainst the King his liege, Camped before his citadel and summoned it to […]
Cleared by Rudyard Kipling
Help for a patriot distressed, a spotless spirit hurt, Help for an honourable clan sore trampled in the dirt! From Queenstown Bay to Donegal, O listen to my song, The honourable gentlemen have suffered grievous wrong. Their noble names were mentioned — O the burning black disgrace! — By a brutal Saxon paper in an […]
Cities and Thrones and Powers by Rudyard Kipling
Cities and Thrones and Powers, Stand in Time’s eye, Almost as long as flowers, Which daily die: But, as new buds put forth To glad new men, Out of the spent and unconsidered Earth, The Cities rise again. This season’s Daffodil, She never hears, What change, what chance, what chill, Cut down last year’s; But […]
Christmas in India by Rudyard Kipling
Dim dawn behind the tamerisks — the sky is saffron-yellow — As the women in the village grind the corn, And the parrots seek the riverside, each calling to his fellow That the Day, the staring Easter Day is born. Oh the white dust on the highway! Oh the stenches in the byway! Oh the […]
Cholera Camp by Rudyard Kipling
We’ve got the cholerer in camp — it’s worse than forty fights; We’re dyin’ in the wilderness the same as Isrulites; It’s before us, an’ be’ind us, an’ we cannot get away, An’ the doctor’s just reported we’ve ten more to-day! Oh, strike your camp an’ go, the Bugle’s callin’, The Rains are fallin’ — […]