Rudyard Kipling's Verse :: :: University of Virginia Library

Rudyard Kipling's Verse

Definitive Edition

Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936)

[section]

PRELUDE (To “Departmental Ditties”)

A GENERAL SUMMARY

ARMY HEADQUARTERS

STUDY OF AN ELEVATION, IN INDIAN INK

DELILAH

A LEGEND OF THE FOREIGN OFFICE

THE MAN WHO COULD WRITE

TO THE UNKNOWN GODDESS

THE RUPAIYAT OF OMAR KAL'VIN

THE BALLAD OF FISHER'S BOARDING-HOUSE

POSSIBILITIES

ARITHMETIC ON THE FRONTIER

THE SONG OF THE WOMEN

THE BETROTHED

A BALLADE OF JAKKO HILL

THE PLEA OF THE SIMLA DANCERS

“AS THE BELL CLINKS”

CHRISTMAS IN INDIA

THE GRAVE OF THE HUNDRED HEAD

AN OLD SONG

CERTAIN MAXIMS OF HAFIZ

THE MOON OF OTHER DAYS

THE FALL OF JOCK GILLESPIE

WHAT THE PEOPLE SAID

THE UNDERTAKER'S HORSE

L'ENVOI (to Departmental Ditties)

THE FIRES

DEDICATION FROM “BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS”

TO THE TRUE ROMANCE

SESTINA OF THE TRAMP-ROYAL

THE MIRACLES

SONG OF THE WISE CHILDREN

ZION

BUDDHA AT KAMAKURA

THE GREEK NATIONAL ANTHEM

THE SEA-WIFE

THE BROKEN MEN

GETHSEMANE

THE SONG OF THE BANJO

THE SPIES' MARCH

THE EXPLORER

THE PRO-CONSULS

THE RUNNERS Indian Frontier, 1904

THE SEA AND THE HILLS

ANCHOR SONG

THE RHYME OF THE THREE SEALERS

McANDREW'S HYMN

MULHOLLAND'S CONTRACT

THE “MARY GLOSTER”

THE BALLAD OF THE “BOLIVAR”

THE BALLAD OF THE “CLAMPHERDOWN”

THE SONG OF DIEGO VALDEZ

THE SECOND VOYAGE

THE OLDEST SONG

THE LINER SHE'S A LADY

IN THE MATTER OF ONE COMPASS

AVE IMPERATRIX!

A SONG OF THE ENGLISH

THE HOUSES

TO THE CITY OF BOMBAY

THE GIPSY TRAIL

OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS

AN AMERICAN

THE CHOICE

THE YOUNG QUEEN

MELBOURNE SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCE

PHARAOH AND THE SERGEANT

THE LAST OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

KITCHENER'S SCHOOL

LORD ROBERTS

BRIDGE-GUARD IN THE KARROO

SOUTH AFRICA

THE BURIAL

RHODES MEMORIAL, TABLE MOUNTAIN

DIRGE OF DEAD SISTERS

THE VAMPIRE

THE ENGLISH FLAG

THE DEAD KING

WHEN EARTH'S LAST PICTURE IS PAINTED

“CLEARED”

THE BALLAD OF THE RED EARL

ULSTER

THE BALLAD OF EAST AND WEST

THE LAST SUTTEE

GENERAL JOUBERT

GEHAZI

THE BALLAD OF THE KING'S MERCY

THE BALLAD OF THE KING'S JEST

WITH SCINDIA TO DELHI

THE DOVE OF DACCA

THE BALLAD OF BOH DA THONE

THE SACRIFICE OF ER-HEB

THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER CATTLE THIEF

THE FEET OF THE YOUNG MEN

A BOY SCOUTS' PATROL SONG

THE TRUCE OF THE BEAR

RUSSIA TO THE PACIFISTS

THE PEACE OF DIVES

A SONG OF THE WHITE MEN

“BEFORE A MIDNIGHT BREAKS IN STORM”

THE DECLARATION OF LONDON

THE WAGE-SLAVES

THE SONG OF THE LATHES

RIMMON

THE SONG OF THE OLD GUARD

THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN

“FOR ALL WE HAVE AND ARE”

THE THREE-DECKER

THE RHYME OF THE THREE CAPTAINS

THE CONUNDRUM OF THE WORKSHOPS

“WHEN 'OMER SMOTE 'IS BLOOMIN' LYRE”

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES

A RECANTATION (TO LYDE OF THE MUSIC HALLS)

THE LAST RHYME OF TRUE THOMAS

THE SONS OF MARTHA

HYMN OF BREAKING STRAIN

THE YOUNG BRITISH SOLDIER

PRIVATE ORTHERIS'S SONG

SHILLIN' A DAY

“BACK TO THE ARMY AGAIN”

“BIRDS OF PREY” MARCH

“SOLDIER AN' SAILOR TOO”

SAPPERS

THAT DAY

“THE MEN THAT FOUGHT AT MINDEN”

THE SERGEANT'S WEDDIN'

THE ABSENT-MINDED BEGGAR

CHANT-PAGAN

M. I.

COLUMNS

THE PARTING OF THE COLUMNS

HALF-BALLADE OF WATERVAL

“CITIES AND THRONES AND POWERS”

THE RECALL

PUCK'S SONG

THE WAY THROUGH THE WOODS

OUR LADY OF THE SACKCLOTH

THE LEGEND OF MIRTH

SHIV AND THE GRASSHOPPER

OUTSONG IN THE JUNGLE

HARP SONG OF THE DANE WOMEN

THE BEES AND THE FLIES

ROAD-SONG OF THE BANDAR-LOG

THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE

“A SERVANT WHEN HE REIGNETH”

SONG OF THE FIFTH RIVER

THE CHILDREN'S SONG

PARADE-SONG OF THE CAMP-ANIMALS

“THE POWER OF THE DOG”

THE RABBI'S SONG

THE BEE-BOY'S SONG

THE SONG OF SEVEN CITIES

THE RETURN OF THE CHILDREN

MERROW DOWN

TO JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

OLD MOTHER LAIDINWOOL

A PAGEANT OF ELIZABETH

THE CITY OF SLEEP

“HELEN ALL ALONE”

THE WIDOWER

THE PRAYER OF MIRIAM COHEN

THE COMFORTERS

THE SONG OF THE LITTLE HUNTER

GOW'S WATCH

THE WISHING-CAPS

“BY THE HOOF OF THE WILD GOAT”

SONG OF THE RED WAR-BOAT

MINE SWEEPERS

MORNING SONG IN THE JUNGLE

BLUE ROSES

THE LOVE SONG OF HAR DYAL

A DEDICATION (To “Soldiers Three”)

MOTHER O' MINE

THE ONLY SON

MOWGLI'S SONG AGAINST PEOPLE

KING HENRY VII. AND THE SHIPWRIGHTS

THE WET LITANY

THE BALLAD OF MINEPIT SHAW

HUNTING-SONG OF THE SEEONEE PACK

SONG OF THE MEN'S SIDE

THE RUNES ON WELAND'S SWORD

DARZEE'S CHAUNT

SONG OF THE GALLEY-SLAVES

THE FOUR ANGELS

THE BEGINNINGS

THE PRAYER

THE MUSE AMONG THE MOTORS 1900–1930

SONGS WRITTEN FOR C. R. L. FLETCHER'S “A HISTORY OF ENGLAND”

VERSES FROM “LAND AND SEA TALES” 1919–1923

VERSES FROM “DEBITS AND CREDITS” 1919–1926

VERSES FROM “LIMITS AND RENEWALS”

MISCELLANEOUS VERSE

THE APPEAL

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

BLUE ROSES

[_]

(The Light that Failed)

Roses red and roses white
Plucked I for my love's delight.
She would none of all my posies—
Bade me gather her blue roses.

Half the world I wandered through,
Seeking where such flowers grew.
Half the world unto my quest
Answered me with laugh and jest.

Home I came at wintertide,
But my silly love had died
Seeking with her latest breath
Roses from the arms of Death.

It may be beyond the grave
She shall find what she would have.
Mine was but an idle quest—
Roses white and red are best!