20 Dec The White Man’s Burden: The United States and The Philippine Islands (1899)

The White Man’s Burden:

The United States and The Philippine Islands (1899)

Rudyard Kipling

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.