Take up the White Man's burden -  
Send forth the best ye breed -  
Go bind your sons to exile 
To serve your captives' need; 
To wait in heavy harness 
On fluttered folk and wild - 
Your new-caught sullen peoples, 
Half devil and half child.   
 
Take up the White Man's burden -  
In patience to abide 
To veil the threat of terror 
And check the show of pride; 
By open speech and simple, 
An hundred times made plain, 
To seek another's profit, 
And work another's gain.   
 
Take up the White Man's burden - 
The savage wars of peace - 
Fill full the mouth of famine 
And bid the sickness cease;  
And when your goal is nearest 
The end for others sought, 
Watch Sloth and heathen Folly 
Bring all your hopes to nought.   
 
Take up the White Man's burden - 
No tawdry rule of kings,  
But toil of serf and sweeper -  
The tale of common things.  
The ports ye shall not enter,  
The roads ye shall not tread,  
Go make them with your living,  
And mark them with your dead !   
 
Take up the White Man's burden - 
And reap his old reward,  
The blame of those ye better,  
The hate of those ye guard -  
The cry of hosts ye humour  
(Ah slowly !) towards the light:-  
"Why brought ye us from bondage,  
"Our loved Egyptian night ?"   
 
Take up the White Man's burden - 
Ye dare not stoop to less -  
Nor call too loud on Freedom  
To cloak your weariness;  
By all ye cry or whisper,  
By all ye leave or do,  
The silent sullen peoples  
Shall weigh your Gods and you.  
 
Take up the White Man's burden - 
Have done with childish days -  
The lightly proffered laurel,  
The easy, ungrudged praise.  
Comes now, to search your manhood  
 
Through all the thankless years,  
Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom,  
 
The judgement of your peers.  |