With French To Kimberley Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDD EECDFFCCDD FFGGHHIIJJDD KKFFLLDD MMLLNOJJDD AAPPQQAARSDD| The Boers were down on Kimberley with siege and Maxim gun | A |
| The Boers were down on Kimberley their numbers ten to one | A |
| Faint were the hopes the British had to make the struggle good | B |
| Defenceless in an open plain the Diamond City stood | B |
| They built them forts with bags of sand they fought from roof and wall | C |
| They flashed a message to the south Help or the town must fall | C |
| Then down our ranks the order ran to march at dawn of day | D |
| And French was off to Kimberley to drive the Boers away | D |
| - | |
| He made no march along the line he made no front attack | E |
| Upon those Magersfontein heights that held the Seaforths back | E |
| But eastward over pathless plains by open veldt and vley | C |
| Across the front of Cronje's force his troopers held their way | D |
| The springbuck feeding on the flats where Modder River runs | F |
| Were startled by his horses' hoofs the rumble of his guns | F |
| The Dutchman's spies that watched his march from every rocky wall | C |
| Rode back in haste He marches East He threatens Jacobsdal | C |
| Then north he wheeled as wheels a hawk and showed to their dismay | D |
| That French was off to Kimberley to drive the Boers away | D |
| - | |
| His column was five thousand strong all mounted men and guns | F |
| There met beneath the world wide flag the world wide Empire's sons | F |
| They came to prove to all the earth that kinship conquers space | G |
| And those who fight the British Isles must fight the British race | G |
| From far New Zealand's flax and fern from cold Canadian snows | H |
| From Queensland plains where hot as fire the summer sunshine glows | H |
| And in front the Lancers rode that New South Wales had sent | I |
| With easy stride across the plain their long lean Walers went | I |
| Unknown untried those squadrons were but proudly out they drew | J |
| Beside the English regiments that fought at Waterloo | J |
| From every coast from every clime they met in proud array | D |
| To go with French to Kimberley to drive the Boers away | D |
| - | |
| He crossed the Reit and fought his way towards the Modder bank | K |
| The foemen closed behind his march and hung upon the flank | K |
| The long dry grass was all ablaze and fierce the veldt fire runs | F |
| He fought them through a wall of flame that blazed around the guns | F |
| Then limbered up and drove at speed though horses fell and died | L |
| We might not halt for man nor beast on that wild daring ride | L |
| Black with the smoke and parched with thirst we pressed the livelong day | D |
| Our headlong march to Kimberley to drive the Boers away | D |
| - | |
| We reached the drift at fall of night and camped across the ford | M |
| Next day from all the hills around the Dutchman's cannon roared | M |
| A narrow pass ran through the hills with guns on either side | L |
| The boldest man might well turn pale before that pass he tried | L |
| For if the first attack should fail then every hope was gone | N |
| Bur French looked once and only once and then he siad Push on | O |
| The gunners plied their guns amain the hail of shrapnel flew | J |
| With rifle fire and lancer charge their squadrons back we threw | J |
| And through the pass between the hills we swept in furious fray | D |
| And French was through to Kimberley to drive the Boers away | D |
| - | |
| Ay French was through to Kimberley And ere the day was done | A |
| We saw the Diamond City stand lit by the evening sun | A |
| Above the town the heliograph hung like an eye of flame | P |
| Around the town the foemen camped they knew not that we came | P |
| But soon they saw us rank on rank they heard our squadrons' tread | Q |
| In panic fear they left their tents in hopeless rout they fled | Q |
| And French rode into Kimberley the people cheered amain | A |
| The women came with tear stained eyes to touch his bridle rein | A |
| The starving children lined the streets to raise a feeble cheer | R |
| The bells rang out a joyous peal to say Relief is here | S |
| Ay we that saw that stirring march are proud that we can say | D |
| We went with French to Kimberley to drive the Boers away | D |
Banjo Paterson (andrew Barton)
(1)
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With French To Kimberley is a poem by Banjo Paterson (andrew Barton). This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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