Graham Thirkill Loc: Idylic North Yorkshire, England UK.

I recently used the quote,

"You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din."


I knew it was from a poem and that's all, I Googled the poem and I feel sure, like myself,
you will enjoy the Rudyard Kipling poem, and bring the quote into context.......

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! Slippy hitherao
‘Water, get it! Panee lao,
‘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!’
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
‘Or I’ll marrow you this minute
‘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,
’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-ranks 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!

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

Well there was something in your message suggestive of Kipling, so I google Kipling, and found the poem you mentioned. I have read it before, and I read it again.

Good stuff.

I also read "Boots" by R.K., and remember that one quite well. I was an Infantryman in the U.S army (no combat thankfully), and can easily relate to Boots.

I also received my Bachelor's degree in English Literature, some odd years ago, and love the language I have been endowed with (all language in fact).

Keats & Wordsworth especially. (Except for W.W., they rest are called the Irish poets: Byron, Sheets, and Kelly).

Trust you understand.

Tom & Gerald 🐹

AlexG Loc: Caldwell, NJ

Graham:

Great post! One of my favorites from R.K. is "The Power of the Dog."

Alex G

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

You triggered a flashback. For some reason a dramatic reading of this poem, complete with some background war sounds, was played on the university radio station periodically during finals week at Penn State when I was an undergrad in the late 60s early 70s. One of those weird things that makes no sense but by the middle of sophomore year it was eagerly anticipated.

Shakey Loc: Traveling again to Norway and other places.

Thanks for posting, Graham. Recall studying English at college. Kipling and his tales of India: The original Jungle Book, and Soldiers Three. Great writer.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

It was also made into a movie.

Graham Thirkill Loc: Idylic North Yorkshire, England UK.

Tom & Gerald, thanks to you both for looking and your very interesting reply. When I settle down in my man's place this evening, with a drop of something alcoholly tasteful, Is alcoholly a word or have a I just invented it.
I shall look up "RK's Boots, if it's as enjoyable as Gunga Din, I will be happy. Great name in your avatar plus Gerald's amazing lifelike portrait. Did you take the photograph?? The lighting and the soft colours and Bokeh are perfect and he's such a lovely little cutie.

Happy New Year, Tom & Gerald
Graham
098

Graham Thirkill Loc: Idylic North Yorkshire, England UK.

My pleasure, Shakey, it's nice to have some culture on the Hogg..........innit??????? or is this too English innit???

Cheers and Beers and a
Happy New Year


Graham

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

"Alcoholly" has now been added to my lexicon. I, too, enjoy a beverage of that nature in the evening before dinner.

Well, "Boots" is is enjoyable but, far more depressing than Gunga Din; which is a rather uplifting quasi-heroic verse.

I also want to read "The Power of the Dog", as suggested by AlexG.

As for Gerald, I got him as an emoticon from my computer (MacBook Pro).

More later, breakfast is calling.

Tom & Gerald

Shakey Loc: Traveling again to Norway and other places.

Innit, hmm? I had to consult my wife on this as she is English. I get it now: innit or 'is it not?' It does have something of a ring about it. Is this is a Yorkshire cultural abbreviation? I did visit Halifax back in the 1950's and discovered it was a sort of hell on earth; smoking chimneys, soot everywhere, all the buildings black, even the sheep on the moors. The people spoke a strange language: Hayup tuh lad's a yank. Whas tu neet lad? Bye gum thy best be off before thee lass's fatha catches thee hanging aboot. Or words to that effect. North Yorkshire I never saw, but if the accent is a little more like that of the soft Cotswolds I could get by. LOL!

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

I had the hard cover "Barrack Room Ballads and Other Stories" by Rudyard Kipling that contained Gunga Din as well as a host of other great poems by him. No obtusely metaphorical free-form prose, here; just well metered, rhyming poetry that tells a good story.

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

In Wisconsin they say, "ainna?", which means much the same as innit.

Most locales everywhere have a slang, twang, and/or a jargon all their own. In the U.K., most citizens can tell where another resident is from just by listening to his/her accent.

And, yes, the Cotswolds are a delightful place to spend a weekend, month or longer.

As for Halifax, maybe in the 50's it was you described; but, 10 years ago or so it was a very nice city. And, by the by, Nova Scotia itself, is an absolutely beautiful place. I could easily reside there and let time roll by.

I'm in Atlanta; what part of the country do you call home Shakey?

philo Loc: philo, ca

if you want to read something by RK that will bring tears to your eyes check out
"a dog for Jesus"

andesbill

As a kid, I used to watch that movie with my father. We loved it. It starred Cary Grant. Sam Jaffe played Din.

Shakey Loc: Traveling again to Norway and other places.

I'm from WNC, Tom, but in my old age I'm a world traveler. Regrettably, my photography is severely restricted by essential tremor.