GUNGA DIN By Rudyard Kipling

GUNGA DIN
By
Rudyard Kipling

You may talk o' gin and beer
When you're quartered safe out 'ere,
An' you're sent to penny-fights an' Aldershot it;
But when it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.
Now in Injia's sunny clime,
Where I used to spend my time
A-servin' of 'Er Majesty the Queen,
Of all them blackfaced crew
The finest man I knew
Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din. He was "Din! Din! Din!
You limpin' lump o' brick-dust, Gunga Din! Hi! slippery ~hitherao~! Water, get it! ~Panee lao~! [Bring water swiftly.]
You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din."

The uniform 'e wore
Was nothin' much before,
An' rather less than 'arf o' that be'ind,
For a piece o' twisty rag
An' a goatskin water-bag
Was all the field-equipment 'e could find.
When the sweatin' troop-train lay
In a sidin' through the day,
Where the 'eat would make your bloomin' eyebrows crawl,
We shouted "Harry By!" [Mr. Atkins's equivalent for "O brother."]
Till our throats were bricky-dry,
Then we wopped 'im 'cause 'e couldn't serve us all. It was "Din! Din! Din!
You 'eathen, where the mischief 'ave you been? You put some ~juldee~ in it [Be quick.] Or I'll ~marrow~ you this minute [Hit you.]
If you don't fill up my helmet, Gunga Din!"

'E would dot an' carry one
Till the longest day was done;
An' 'e didn't seem to know the use o' fear.
If we charged or broke or cut,
You could bet your bloomin' nut,
'E'd be waitin' fifty paces right flank rear.
With 'is ~mussick~ on 'is back, [Water-skin.]
'E would skip with our attack,
An' watch us till the bugles made "Retire",
An' for all 'is dirty 'ide
'E was white, clear white, inside
When 'e went to tend the wounded under fire! It was "Din! Din! Din!"
With the bullets kickin' dust-spots on the green. When the cartridges ran out, You could hear the front-files shout,
"Hi! ammunition-mules an' Gunga Din!"

I shan't forgit the night
When I dropped be'ind the fight
With a bullet where my belt-plate should 'a' been.
I was chokin' mad with thirst,
An' the man that spied me first
Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din.
'E lifted up my 'ead,
An' he plugged me where I bled,
An' 'e guv me 'arf-a-pint o' water-green:
It was crawlin' and it stunk,
But of all the drinks I've drunk,
I'm gratefullest to one from Gunga Din. It was "Din! Din! Din!
'Ere's a beggar with a bullet through 'is spleen; 'E's chawin' up the ground, An' 'e's kickin' all around:
For Gawd's sake git the water, Gunga Din!"

'E carried me away
To where a dooli lay,
An' a bullet come an' drilled the beggar clean.
'E put me safe inside,
An' just before 'e died,
"I 'ope you liked your drink", sez Gunga Din.
So I'll meet 'im later on
At the place where 'e is gone --
Where it's always double drill and no canteen;
'E'll be squattin' on the coals
Givin' drink to poor damned souls,
An' I'll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din! Yes, Din! Din! Din!
You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din! Though I've belted you and flayed you, By the livin' Gawd that made you,
You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

A person's value is what they do!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• GUNGA
• DIN
• By
• Rudyard
• Kipling

[2QBUFF]

Beautifully read out and much appreciated ...Rudyard Kipling at his best ..Have you seen the Movie the man who would be King ..Highly reccomended .. 8 )

[SSanf]

Thank you!

[gagecube]

I cant stand the "He was a racist" routine. He wasnt, not by a long stretch. Because he dares to use the word "white" in his poems every now and then. He loved India and Indias people. Which is exactly what this poem is about.

[SSanf]

On target!

[SSanf]

Excuse me? Feel bit presumptuous today, do you? Of course, I have read "White Man's Burden". Most literate people have. In this particular poem, when he says that Gunga Din is white inside, he is acknowledging that Din and by extension others is as good as any man. He is acknowledging the similarity and integral value of people of different races. That was quite an exceptional statement at the time.

However, if you wish to see it in the worst possible light, enjoy your negativity.

[thomhong1]

@nacho1560 It is very difficult to discuss these matters in this forum..... We adventure in the Middle East because of oil which is the Life Blood of our Industrialized Countries.... the World Markets benefits from this... I believe Iraq is better off without Sadam..... your comments make me rethink a few things.... but, I come back to the same conclusions. Tell me what you would like to see ?

[nacho1560]

@thomhong1 I don't know the figures but the dead in Iraq and Afghanistan caused by the intervention of our nations must be very high. If you're an innocent victim who dies in a war you don't care whether it's the Chinese or the USA who are the bullies. The US are far too quick to attack without much thought and we the Brits, like poodles, follow our masters. If a war is declared unlawful why were Bush and Blair not tried for war crimes? Their decisions killed more than Ratko Mladic.

[thomhong1]

@nacho1560 Well.... I guess there is no common ground we can share here.... I really believe the world is a better place for the contributions by both the UK and the USA.... we have not been perfect.... but if China or a Caliphate become the new "world wide bullies" then I think the trangressions of our forebears will seem small in comparison....

[nacho1560]

@thomhong1 No, sorry, I can never accept the argument that any nation can be better off by being slave to another. The British bullied and mistreated countless millions in our Commonwealth days. We introduced the first Concentration Camp in South Africa against the Boers. The Nazis learned a lot from us. Nowadays we tend to be followers of the USA who have taken over our role as world wide bullies. India became what it is now by rebelling and breaking away from us.

[thomhong1]

@nacho1560 You are making logical conclusions based on your POV. The World today is much different than back when RK was in circulation. I think it's difficult to judge earlier generations. Wouldn't you agree that all of 19th Century India was filled with Racists ? British Racists and Indigenious Racists. IMO India is much better off for having been a British Colony. Could such a Diverse Population ever exist as single country ? Does India benefit from being a single country today ?

[nacho1560]

@gagecube He loved India, the India that was under British rule and the average Indian was seen as scum. Protesters were massacred. Kipling was a strong admirer of British Colonialism and a great lover of military action. Yes, he would have admired an Indian who gave his life for his British masters. Think on Kiplings words: "Tho' I've belted you and flayed you." Doesn't sound like a man who loved Gunga very much until he saved some Brits.

[thomhong1]

@nacho1560 I think you are making an honest observation... but I think we do not have sufficient perspective to really judge Kipling... its too easy and too politically correct to say Kipling was Racist... but let us suppose you are right, Kipling was a Racist.... consider the great compliment this Racist SOB was extending to Gunga Din ( in the voice of the soldier ) by saying "You're a better man than I am"... which tends to undermind the original premise of Kipling's presumed racism....

[nacho1560]

Was Kipling really a racist? Yeah he praised Gunga Din, but was he perhaps a tad disparaging and patronising. I think he was.

[rugbyboy198127]

@2QBUFF beautifully read? you know nothing... this is 'how not to read a poem' thank you - hear an educated englishman recite (not read) this poem and the difference is plain to see... and he wasn't a bloody racist - you PC lot are the real fascists around these days.... gee whiz it makes me angry!

[MrMittendorf]

A truly lousy rendition.