Ballads and Barrack-Room Ballads

by Rudyard Kipling

For works with similar titles, see Barrack-Room Ballads.

Layout 2

 

BALLADS

AND

BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS

 

 

BALLADS

AND

BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS

 

BY

RUDYARD KIPLING
Author of “Plain Tales from the Hills,” “The Naulahka,” etc.

 

New York
MACMILLAN AND CO.
AND LONDON
1892

All rights reserved

 

 

Copyright, 1892,

By MACMILLAN AND CO.

 

Typography by J. S. Cushing & Co., Boston, U.S.A.
Presswork by Berwick & Smith, Boston, U.S.A.

 

 

To

WOLCOTT BALESTIER

 

Beyond the path of the outmost sun, through utter darkness hurled,
Further than ever comet flared or vagrant star-dust swirled,
Sit such as fought and sailed and ruled and loved and made our world.

They are purged of pride because they died; they know the worth of their bays;
They sit at wine with the Maidens Nine, and the Gods of the Elder Days—
It is their will to serve or be still as fitteth our Father’s praise.

’Tis theirs to sweep through the ringing deep where Azrael’s outposts are,
Or buffet a path through the Pits red wrath when God goes out to war,
Or hang with the reckless Seraphim on the rein of a red-maned star.

They take their mirth in the joy of the earth—they dare not grieve for her pain—
For they know of toil and the end of toil—they know God’s Law is plain;
So they whistle the Devil to make them sport who know that sin is vain.

And ofttimes cometh our wise Lord God, master of every trade,
And tells them tales of the Seventh Day—of Edens newly made,
And they rise to their feet as He passes by—gentlemen unafraid.

To these who are cleansed of base Desire, Sorrow and Lust and Shame—
Gods, for they knew the heart of Men—men, for they stooped to Fame—
Borne on the breath that men call Death, my brother’s spirit came.

Scarce had he need to cast his pride or slough the dross of earth.
Even as he trod that day to God, so walked he from his birth—
In simpleness and gentleness and honour and clean mirth.

So, cup to lip in fellowship, they gave him welcome high
And made him place at the banquet board, the Strong Men ranged thereby,
Who had done his work and held his peace and had no fear to die.

Beyond the loom of the last lone star through open darkness hurled,
Further than rebel comet dared or hiving star-swarm swirled,
Sits he with such as praise our God for that they served his world.

 

PREFACE

The greater part of the ‘Barrack-Room Ballads,’ as well as ‘Cleared,’ ‘Tomlinson,’ and ‘The English Flag’ have appeared in the ‘National Observer.’ Messrs. Macmillan and Co. have kindly given me permission to reproduce four ballads contributed to their Magazine, and I am indebted to the ‘St. James Gazette’ for a like courtesy in regard to the ballads of the ‘Clampherdown’ and ‘Bolivar,’ and the ‘Imperial Rescript.’ ‘The Rhyme of the Three Captains’ was printed first in the ‘Athenæum.’ I fancy that most of the other verses are new.

RUDYARD KIPLING.

 

CONTENTS

Ballads

page
THE BALLAD OF EAST AND WEST
Oh East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,	3
THE LAST SUTTEE
Udai Chand lay sick to death,	12
THE BALLAD OF THE KING’S MERCY
Abdhur Rahman, the Durani Chief, of him is the story told,	18
THE BALLAD OF THE KING’S JEST
When spring-time flushes the desert grass,	25
WITH SCINDIA TO DELHI
The wreath of banquet overnight lay withered on the neck,	31
THE BALLAD OF BOH DA THONE
This is the ballad of Boh Da Thone,	40
THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER CATTLE THIEF
O woe is me for the merry life,	53
THE RHYME OF THE THREE CAPTAINS
. . . At the close of a winter day,	56
THE BALLAD OF THE ‘CLAMPHERDOWN’
It was our war-ship ‘Clampherdown,’	64
THE BALLAD OF THE ‘BOLIVAR’
Seven men from all the world, back to docks again,	69
THE SACRIFICE OF ER-HEB
Er-Heb beyond the hills of Ao-Safai,	74
THE EXPLANATION
Love and Death once ceased their strife,	85
THE GIFT OF THE SEA
The dead child lay in the shroud,	86
EVARRA AND HIS GODS
Read here: This is the story of Evarra—man—,	90
THE CONUNDRUM OF THE WORKSHOPS
When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden’s green and gold,	94
THE LEGEND OF EVIL
This is the sorrowful story,	98
THE ENGLISH FLAG
Winds of the World, give answer? They are whimpering to and fro—,	102
‘CLEARED’
Help for a patriot distressed, a spotless spirit hurt,	108
AN IMPERIAL RESCRIPT
Now this is the tale of the Council the German Kaiser decreed,	116
TOMLINSON
Now Tomlinson gave up the ghost in his house in Berkeley Square,	120

 

Barrack-Room Ballads

page
DANNY DEEVER
‘What are the bugles blowin’ for?’ said Files-on-Parade,	133
TOMMY
I went into a public-’ouse to get a pint o’ beer,	136
‘FUZZY-WUZZY’
We’ve fought with many men acrost the seas,	140
SOLDIER, SOLDIER
‘Soldier, soldier, come from the wars,’	143
SCREW-GUNS
Smokin’ my pipe on the mountings, sniffin’ the mornin’ cool,	146
CELLS
I’ve a head like a concertina: I’ve a tongue like a button-stick,	150
GUNGA DIN
You may talk o’ gin and beer,	153
OONTS!
Wot makes the soldier’s ’eart to penk, wot makes him to perspire?	157
LOOT
If you’ve ever stole a pheasant-egg be’ind the keeper’s back,	161
‘SNARLEYOW’
This ’appened in a battle to a batt’ry of the corps,	165
THE WIDOW AT WINDSOR
‘Ave you ’eard o’ the Widow at Windsor,	169
BELTS
There was a row in Silver Street that’s near to Dublin Quay,	172
THE YOUNG BRITISH SOLDIER
When the ’arf-made recruity goes out to the East,	176
MANDALAY
By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin’ eastward to the sea,	180
TROOPIN’
Troopin’, troopin’, troopin’ to the sea,	184
THE WIDOW’S PARTY
‘Where have you been this while away,’	187
FORD O’ KABUL RIVER
Kabul town’s by Kabul river—,	190
GENTLEMEN-RANKERS
To the Legion of the Lost Ones to the Cohort of the Damned,	193
ROUTE-MARCHIN’
We’re marchin’ on relief over Injia’s sunny plains,	196
SHILLIN’ A DAY
My name is O’Kelly, I’ve heard the revelly,	200
L’ENVOI
There’s a whisper down the field where the year has shot her yield,	202