The Seven Seas

by Rudyard Kipling

THE SEVEN SEAS

BY RUDYARD KIPLING

METHUEN AND CO.

36 ESSEX STREET, W.C.

LONDON

1896

CONTENTS

	PAGE
DEDICATION
The Cities are full of pride,	v
The Seven Seas
A SONG OF THE ENGLISH
Fair is our lot—O goodly is our heritage!	1
The Coastwise Lights
Our brows are bound with spindrift and the weed is on our knees,	3
The Song of the Dead
Hear now the Song of the Dead—in the North by the torn berg-edges,	5
The Deep-Sea Cables
The wrecks dissolve above us; their dust drops down from afar,	9
The Song of the Sons
One from the ends of the earth—gifts at an open door—,	10
The Song of the Cities
Royal and Dower-royal, I the Queen,	11
England's Answer
Truly ye come of The Blood; slower to bless than to ban,	15
THE FIRST CHANTEY
Mine was the woman to me, darkling I found her,	18
THE LAST CHANTEY
Thus said the Lord in the Vault above the Cherubim,	21
THE MERCHANTMEN
King Solomon drew merchantmen,	26
M'ANDREW'S HYMN
Lord, Thou hast made this world below the shadow of a dream,	31
THE MIRACLES
I sent a message to my dear,	47
THE NATIVE-BORN
We've drunk to the Queen—God bless her!	49
THE KING
'Farewell, Romance!' the Cave-men said,	55
THE RHYME OF THE THREE SEALERS
Away by the lands of the Japanee,	58
THE DERELICT
I was the staunchest of our fleet,	73
THE ANSWER
A Rose, in tatters on the garden path,	76
THE SONG OF THE BANJO
You couldn't pack a Broadwood half a mile,	78
THE LINER SHE'S A LADY
The Liner she's a lady, an' she never looks nor 'eeds,	85
MULHOLLAND'S CONTRACT
The fear was on the cattle, for the gale was on the sea,	88
ANCHOR SONG
Heh! Walk her round. Heave, ah heave her short again!	92
THE LOST LEGION
There's a Legion that never was 'listed,	96
THE SEA-WIFE
There dwells a wife by the Northern Gate,	100
HYMN BEFORE ACTION
The earth is full of anger,	103
TO THE TRUE ROMANCE
Thy face is far from this our war,	106
THE FLOWERS
Bay my English posies!	111
THE LAST RHYME OF TRUE THOMAS
The King has called for priest and cup,	115
IN THE NEOLITHIC AGE
In the Neolithic Age savage warfare did I wage,	124
THE STORY OF UNG
Once, on a glittering ice-field, ages and ages ago,	128
THE THREE-DECKER
Full thirty foot she towered from waterline to rail,	134
AN AMERICAN
If the Led Striker call it a strike,	139
THE MARY GLOSTER
I've paid for your sickest fancies; I've humoured your crackedest whim,	142
SESTINA OF THE TRAMP-ROYAL
Speakin' in general, I 'ave tried 'em all,	158
Barrack-Room Ballads
'BACK TO THE ARMY AGAIN'
I'm 'ere in a ticky ulster an' a broken billycock 'at,	163
'BIRDS OF PREY' MARCH
March! The mud is cakin' good about our trousies,	168
'SOLDIER AN' SAILOR TOO'
As I was spittin' into the Ditch aboard o' the Crocodile,	171
SAPPERS
When the Waters were dried an' the Earth did appear,	175
THAT DAY
It got beyond all orders an' it got beyond all 'ope,	179
'THE MEN THAT FOUGHT AT MINDEN'
The men that fought at Minden, they was rookies in their time,	182
CHOLERA CAMP
We've got the cholerer in camp—it's worse than forty fights,	186
THE LADIES
I've taken my fun where I've found it,	190
BILL 'AWKINS
' 'As anybody seen Bill 'Awkins?'	194
THE MOTHER-LODGE
There was Rundle, Station Master,	196
'FOLLOW ME 'OME '
There was no one like 'im, 'Orse or Foot,	200
THE SERGEANT'S WEDDIN'
'E was warned again 'er,	203
THE JACKET
Through the Plagues of Egyp' we was chasin' Arabi,	206
THE 'EATHEN
The 'eathen in 'is blindness bows down to wood an' stone,	210
THE SHUT-EYE SENTRY
Sez the Junior Orderly Sergeant,	217
'MARY, PITY WOMEN!'
You call yourself a man,	222
FOR TO ADMIRE
The Injian Ocean sets an' smiles,	225
L'ENVOI
When Earth's last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,	229