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Ballads and Barrack Room Ballads
Copyright, 1892,
By MACMILLAN AND CO.
New Edition, with Additional Poems
Copyright, 1893,
By MACMILLAN AND CO.
Copyright, 1899,
By RUDYARD KIPLING
Departmental Ditties and Other Poems,
Revised, April, 1899.
Copyright, 1899,
By RUDYARD KIPLING
CONTENTS
PRELUDE
I have eaten your bread and salt,
I have drunk your water and wine;
The deaths ye died I have watched beside,
And the lives that ye led were mine.
Was there aught that I did not share
In vigil or toil or ease,—
One joy or woe that I did not know,
Dear hearts across the seas?
I have written the tale of our life
For a sheltered people's mirth,
In jesting guise—but ye are wise,
And ye know what the jest is worth.
BALLADS
AND
BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS
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 Pit's red wrath when God goes out to war,
Or hang with the reckless Seraphim on the rein of a redmaned 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—
Some 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.
E'en as he trod that day to God, so walked he from this 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.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1925.
The author died in 1936, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 80 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.