Subject: A School Song
From: <Saved by Microsoft Internet Explorer 5>
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 00:19:23 +1000

A School Song

Rudyard Kipling

Let us now praise famous men

Men of little showing

For their work continueth,

And their work continueth,

Broad and deep continueth,

Greater than their knowing!

Western wind and open surge

Took us from our mothers

Flung us on a naked shore

(Twelve bleak houses by the shore.

Seven summers by the shore! )

'Mid two hundred brothers.

There we met with famous men

Set in office o'er us;

And they beat on us with rods

Faithfully with many rods

Daily beat us on with rods,

For the love they bore us!

Out of Egypt unto Troy

Over Himalaya

Far and sure our bands have gone

Hy-Brazil or Babylon,

Islands of the Southern Run,

And Cities of Cathaia!

And we all praise famous men

Ancients of the College;

For they taught us common sense

Tried to teach us common sense

Truth and God's Own Common Sense,

Which surpasseth knowledge!

Each degree of Latitude

Strung about Creation

Seeth one or more of us

(Of one muster each of us),

Diligent in that he does,

Keen in his vocation.

This we learned from famous men,

Knowing not its uses,

When they showed, in daily work

Man must finish off his work

Right or wrong, his daily work

And without excuses.

Servant of the Staff and Chain,

Mine and fuse and grapnel

Some, before the face of Kings,

Stand before the face of Kings;

Bearing gifts to divers Kings

Gifts of case and shrapnel.

This we learned from famous men

Teaching in our borders,

Who declared it was best,

Safest, easiest,and best

Expeditious, wise, and best

To obey your orders.

Some beneath the further stars

Bear the greater burden:

Set to serve the lands they rule,

(Save he serve, no man may rule),

Serve and love the lands they rule;

Seeking praise nor guerdon.

This we learned from famous men,

Knowing not we learned it.

Only, as the years went by

Lonely, as the years went by

Far from help as years went by,

Plainer we discerned it.

Wherefore praise we famous men

From whose days we borrow

They that put aside To-day

All the joys of their To-day

And with toil of their To-day

Bought for us To-morrow!

Bless and praise we famous men

Men of little showing

For their work continueth,

And their work continueth,

Broad and deep continueth,

Great beyond their knowing!