The Ballad Of East And West Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCB DDEEFEGGGGHIJJKELMLE EHIIIEEIINNKKOOLLPPL LIIHIIIEEQRRSSIIIITI UIIIRIILIVIIIFFIIWWG I IIIIXXGGXFYI IIBCBOh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet | A |
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat | A |
But there is neither East nor West Border nor Breed nor Birth | B |
When two strong men stand face to face | C |
tho' they come from the ends of the earth | B |
- | |
Kamal is out with twenty men to raise the Border side | D |
And he has lifted the Colonel's mare that is the Colonel's pride | D |
He has lifted her out of the stable door between the dawn and the day | E |
And turned the calkins upon her feet and ridden her far away | E |
Then up and spoke the Colonel's son that led a troop of the Guides | F |
quot Is there never a man of all my men can say where Kamal hides quot | E |
Then up and spoke Mahommed Khan the son of the Ressaldar | G |
quot If ye know the track of the morning mist ye know where his pickets are | G |
At dusk he harries the Abazai at dawn he is into Bonair | G |
But he must go by Fort Bukloh to his own place to fare | G |
So if ye gallop to Fort Bukloh as fast as a bird can fly | H |
By the favour of God ye may cut him off ere he win to the Tongue of Jagai | I |
But if he be past the Tongue of Jagai right swiftly turn ye then | J |
For the length and the breadth of that grisly plain is sown with Kamal's men | J |
There is rock to the left and rock to the right and low lean thorn between | K |
And ye may hear a breech bolt snick where never a man is seen quot | E |
The Colonel's son has taken a horse and a raw rough dun was he | L |
With the mouth of a bell and the heart of Hell | M |
and the head of the gallows tree | L |
The Colonel's son to the Fort has won they bid him stay to eat | E |
Who rides at the tail of a Border thief he sits not long at his meat | E |
He's up and away from Fort Bukloh as fast as he can fly | H |
Till he was aware of his father's mare in the gut of the Tongue of Jagai | I |
Till he was aware of his father's mare with Kamal upon her back | I |
And when he could spy the white of her eye he made the pistol crack | I |
He has fired once he has fired twice but the whistling ball went wide | E |
quot Ye shoot like a soldier quot Kamal said quot Show now if ye can ride quot | E |
It's up and over the Tongue of Jagai as blown dustdevils go | I |
The dun he fled like a stag of ten but the mare like a barren doe | I |
The dun he leaned against the bit and slugged his head above | N |
But the red mare played with the snaffle bars as a maiden plays with a glove | N |
There was rock to the left and rock to the right and low lean thorn between | K |
And thrice he heard a breech bolt snick tho' never a man was seen | K |
They have ridden the low moon out of the sky their hoofs drum up the dawn | O |
The dun he went like a wounded bull but the mare like a new roused fawn | O |
The dun he fell at a water course in a woful heap fell he | L |
And Kamal has turned the red mare back and pulled the rider free | L |
He has knocked the pistol out of his hand small room was there to strive | P |
quot 'Twas only by favour of mine quot quoth he quot ye rode so long alive | P |
There was not a rock for twenty mile there was not a clump of tree | L |
But covered a man of my own men with his rifle cocked on his knee | L |
If I had raised my bridle hand as I have held it low | I |
The little jackals that flee so fast were feasting all in a row | I |
If I had bowed my head on my breast as I have held it high | H |
The kite that whistles above us now were gorged till she could not fly quot | I |
Lightly answered the Colonel's son quot Do good to bird and beast | I |
But count who come for the broken meats before thou makest a feast | I |
If there should follow a thousand swords to carry my bones away | E |
Belike the price of a jackal's meal were more than a thief could pay | E |
They will feed their horse on the standing crop | Q |
their men on the garnered grain | R |
The thatch of the byres will serve their fires when all the cattle are slain | R |
But if thou thinkest the price be fair thy brethren wait to sup | S |
The hound is kin to the jackal spawn howl dog and call them up | S |
And if thou thinkest the price be high in steer and gear and stack | I |
Give me my father's mare again and I'll fight my own way back quot | I |
Kamal has gripped him by the hand and set him upon his feet | I |
quot No talk shall be of dogs quot said he quot when wolf and gray wolf meet | I |
May I eat dirt if thou hast hurt of me in deed or breath | T |
What dam of lances brought thee forth to jest at the dawn with Death quot | I |
Lightly answered the Colonel's son quot I hold by the blood of my clan | U |
Take up the mare for my father's gift by God she has carried a man quot | I |
The red mare ran to the Colonel's son and nuzzled against his breast | I |
quot We be two strong men quot said Kamal then quot but she loveth the younger best | I |
So she shall go with a lifter's dower my turquoise studded rein | R |
My broidered saddle and saddle cloth and silver stirrups twain quot | I |
The Colonel's son a pistol drew and held it muzzle end | I |
quot Ye have taken the one from a foe quot said he | L |
quot will ye take the mate from a friend quot | I |
quot A gift for a gift quot said Kamal straight quot a limb for the risk of a limb | V |
Thy father has sent his son to me I'll send my son to him quot | I |
With that he whistled his only son that dropped from a mountain crest | I |
He trod the ling like a buck in spring and he looked like a lance in rest | I |
quot Now here is thy master quot Kamal said quot who leads a troop of the Guides | F |
And thou must ride at his left side as shield on shoulder rides | F |
Till Death or I cut loose the tie at camp and board and bed | I |
Thy life is his thy fate it is to guard him with thy head | I |
So thou must eat the White Queen's meat and all her foes are thine | W |
And thou must harry thy father's hold for the peace of the Border line | W |
And thou must make a trooper tough and hack thy way to power | G |
Belike they will raise thee to Ressaldar when I am hanged in Peshawur quot | I |
- | |
They have looked each other between the eyes and there they found no fault | I |
They have taken the Oath of the Brother in Blood on leavened bread and salt | I |
They have taken the Oath of the Brother in Blood on fire and fresh cut sod | I |
On the hilt and the haft of the Khyber knife and the Wondrous Names of God | I |
The Colonel's son he rides the mare and Kamal's boy the dun | X |
And two have come back to Fort Bukloh where there went forth but one | X |
And when they drew to the Quarter Guard full twenty swords flew clear | G |
There was not a man but carried his feud with the blood of the mountaineer | G |
quot Ha' done ha' done quot said the Colonel's son | X |
quot Put up the steel at your sides | F |
Last night ye had struck at a Border thief | Y |
to night 'tis a man of the Guides quot | I |
- | |
Oh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet | I |
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat | I |
But there is neither East nor West Border nor Breed nor Birth | B |
When two strong men stand face to face | C |
tho' they come from the ends of the earth | B |
Rudyard Kipling
(1)
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