Barrack-Room Ballads and Other Verses

(Notes by Roger Ayers and John McGivering)

Listed in the order determined by Kipling when he was preparing the collection for publication in 1892. For the edition published in 1893 (Ballads and Barrack-Room Ballad) four poems were added. These are listed here at the bottom. 

Fot the 1892 edition   View listed by title  –  View listed by first line

Title First line Notes
To Wolcott Balestier Beyond the path of the outmost sun through utter darknesss hurled
To T.A. I have made for you a song
Danny Deever What are the bugles blowin’ for?’ said Files-on-Parade
Tommy I went into a public-‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer
Fuzzy Wuzzy We’ve fought with many men acrost the seas
Soldier, Soldier Soldier, soldier come from the wars
Screw-Guns Smokin’ my pipe on the mountings, sniffin’ the mornin’ cool
Cells I’ve a head like a concertina, I’ve a tongue like a button-stick
Gunga Din You may talk o’ gin and beer
Oonts Wot makes the soldier’s ‘eart to penk, wot makes ‘im to perspire?
Loot If you’ve ever stole a pheasant-egg be’ind the keeper’s back
Snarleyow’ This ‘appened in a battle toa batt’ry of the corps
The Widow at Windsor Ave you ‘eard o’ the Widow at Windsor
Belts There was a row in Silver Street that’s near to Dublin Quay
The Young British Soldier When the ‘arf-made recruity goes out to the East
Mandalay By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin’ lazy at the sea
Troopin’ Troopin’, troopin’, troopin’ to the sea
The Widow’s Party Where have you been this while away
Ford o’ Kabul River Kabul town’s by Kabul river-
Gentlemen-rankers To the legion of the lost ones, to the cohort of the damned
Route Marchin’ We’re marchin’ on relief over Injia’s sunny plains
Shillin’ a Day My name is O’Kelly, I’ve heard the Revelly
OTHER VERSES
The Ballad of East and West Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet
The Last Suttee Udai Chand lay sick to death
The Ballad of the King’s Mercy Abdhur Rahman, the Durani Chief, of him is the story told
The Ballad of the King’s Jest When spring-time flushes the desert grass
With Scindia to Delhi The wreath of banquet overnight lay withered on the neck
The Ballad of Boh da Thone Boh Da Thone was a warrior bold
The Lament of the Border Cattle Thief O woe is me for the merry life
The Rhyme of the Three Captains At the close of a winter day
The Ballad of the ‘Clampherdown’ It was our war-ship Clampherdown
The Ballad of the ‘Bolivar’ Seven men from all the world back to Docks again
The Sacrifice of Er-heb Er-Heb beyond the Hills of Ao-Safai
The Explanation Although, as I fancy you know, I’m familiar with phrases that pain and annoy
The Gift of the Sea The dead child lay in the shroud
Evarra and his Gods This is the story of Evarra – man
The Conundrum of the Workshops When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden’s green and gold
The Legend of Evil This is the sorrowful story
The English Flag Winds of the World, give answer! They are whimpering to and fro-
Cleared Help for a patriot distressed, a spotless spirit hurt
An Imperial Rescript Now this is the tale of the Council the German Kaiser decreed
L’Envoi to Life’s Handicap My new-cut ashlar takes the light
L’Envoi to Barrack-Room Ballads When Earth’s last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried
ADDED FOR THE 1893 EDITION OF BALLADS AND BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS
The Lost Legion There’s a Legion that never was listed’
The Dove of Dacca The freed dove flew to the Rajah’s tower—
The Answer A rose, in tatters on the garden path,
In the Neolithic Age In the Neolithic Age savage warfare did I wage