There are the verses chosen by Kipling for the 1913 U.K. edition on Songs from Books.
They are listed by title. Click here for a listing by the books in which they appear, here for a listing by first line.
Title | Book | First line | Notes |
Angutivaun Taina | The Second Jungle Book | Our gloves are stiff with the frozen blood . | ![]() |
An Astrologer’s Song | Rewards and Fairies . | To the Heavens above us . | ![]() |
The Ballad of Minepit Shaw | Rewards and Fairies . | About the time that taverns shut | ![]() |
The Bee Boy’s Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Bees! Bees! Hark to your bees! | ![]() |
The Bees and the Flies | Actions and Reactions | A farmer of the Augustan Age | ![]() |
Blue Roses | The Light that Failed | Roses red and roses white . | ![]() |
A British-Roman Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | My father’s father saw it not | ![]() |
Brookland Road | Rewards and Fairies . | I was very well pleased with what I knowed | ![]() |
Butterflies . | Traffics and Discoveries | Eyes aloft, over dangerous places | ![]() |
By the Hoof of the Wild Goat | Plain Tales from the Hills | By the Hoof of the Wild Goat uptossed | ![]() |
The Camel’s Hump | Just So Stories | The Camel’s hump is an ugly lump | ![]() |
The Captive | Traffics and Discoveries | Not with an outcry to Allah nor any complaining | ![]() |
A Carol | Rewards and Fairies . | Our Lord Who did the Ox command | ![]() |
A Charm | Rewards and Fairies . | Take of English earth as much . | ![]() |
The Children’s Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Land of our Birth, we pledge to thee | ![]() |
Chil’s Song | The Second Jungle Book . | These were my companions going forth by night | ![]() |
China-going P & Os | Just So Stories . | China-going P. and G.’s | ![]() |
Cities and Thrones and Powers | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Cities and Thrones and Powers . | ![]() |
The City of Sleep | The Day’s Work | Over the edge of the purple down | ![]() |
Cold Iron | Rewards and Fairies . | Gold is for the mistress-silver for the maid’ . | ![]() |
Cuckoo Song . | Heathfield Parish Memoirs | Tell it to the locked-up trees | ![]() |
Darzee’s Chaunt | The Jungle Book | Singer and tailor am I | ![]() |
A Dedication | Songs from Books | And they were stronger hands than mine . | ![]() |
Eddi’s Service | Rewards and Fairies . | Eddi, priest of St. Wilfrid . | ![]() |
The Egg-shell | Traffics and Discoveries | The wind took off with the sunset | ![]() |
The Fairies’ Siege | Kim . | I have been given my charge to keep | ![]() |
The Four Angels | Actions and Reactions | As Adam lay a-dreaming beneath the Apple Tree | ![]() |
Frankie’s Trade | Rewards and Fairies . | Old Horn to All Atlantic said | ![]() |
Gallio’s Song | Actions and Reactions | All day long to the judgment-seat | ![]() |
Gow’s Watch | Kim | Your tiercel’s too long at hack, Sir. He’s no eyass . | ![]() |
Hadramauti | Plain Tales from the Hills | Who knows the heart of the Christian? How does reason ? | ![]() |
Harp Song of the Dane Women | Puck of Pook’s Hill , | What is a woman that you forsake her | ![]() |
Heriot’s Ford | The Light that Failed | I What’s that that hirples at my side?’ | ![]() |
The Heritage | The Empire and the Century | Our Fathers in a wondrous age . | ![]() |
Hunting Song of the Seeonee Pack | The Jungle Book | As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belied | ![]() |
I am the Most Wise Baviaan | Just So Stories | I am the Most Wise Baviaan, saying in most wise tones | ![]() |
I Keep Six Honest Serving-men | Just So Stories | I keep six honest serving-men | ![]() |
If— | Rewards and Fairies . | If you can keep your head when all about you . | ![]() |
I’ve never sailed the Amaxon | Just So Stories | I’ve never sailed the Amazon | ![]() |
The Jester | Collected | There are three degrees of bliss | ![]() |
Jubal and Tubal Cain | Letters to the Family | Jubal sang of the Wrath of God | ![]() |
The Juggler’s Song . | Kim | When the drums begin to beat . | ![]() |
King Henry VII. and the Shipwrights | Rewards and Fairies . | Harry, our King in England, from London town is gone. | ![]() |
The Kingdom | The Naulahka . | Now we are come to our Kingdom | ![]() |
The King’s Task | Traffics and Discoveries | After the sack of the City, when Rome was sunk to a name | ![]() |
The Law of the Jungle | The Second Jungle Book . | Now this is the Law of the Jungle-as old and as true as the sky | ![]() |
The Looking-Glass. | Rewards and Fairies . | Queen Bess was Harry’s daughter. Stand forward partners all! | ![]() |
The Love Song of Har Dyal | Plain Tales from the Hills | Alone upon the housetops to the North | ![]() |
Lukannon | The Jungle Book | I met my mates in the morning (and oh but I am old!) | ![]() |
Merrow Down | Just So Stories . | There runs a road by Merrow Down . | ![]() |
Morning Song in the Jungle | The Second Jungle Book . | One moment past our bodies cast | ![]() |
Mother o’ Mine . | The Light that Failed | If I were hanged on the highest hill . | ![]() |
Mowgli’s Song against People | The Second Jungle Book | I will let loose against you the fleet-footed vines | ![]() |
My Lady’s Law | The Naulahka | The Law whereby my lady moves | ![]() |
My New-Cut Ashlae | Life’s Handicap . | My new-cut ashlar takes the light . | ![]() |
The Necessitarian | Traffics and Discoveries | I know not in Whose hands are laid . | ![]() |
The New Knighthood | Actions and Reactions | Who gives him the Bath? . | ![]() |
The Nursing Sister. | The Naulahka | Our sister sayeth such and such | ![]() |
Old Mother Laidinwool | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Old Mother Laidinwool had nigh twelve months been dead ‘ | ![]() |
The Only Son. | Many Inventions | She dropped the bar, she shot the bolt, she fed the fire anew | ![]() |
Our Fathers also’ . | Traffics and Discoveries | Thrones, Powers, Dominions, Peoples, Kings | ![]() |
Our Fathers of Old’ | Rewards and Fairies . | Excellent herbs had our fathers of old | ![]() |
Outsong in the Jungle | The Second Jungle Book | For the sake of him who showed | ![]() |
Parade-Song of the Camp-Animals . | The Jungle Book | We lent to Alexander the strength of Hercules | ![]() |
A Pict Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Rome never looks where she treads . | ![]() |
Poor Honest Men | Rewards and Fairies | Your jar of Virginny . | ![]() |
Poseidon’s Law . | Traffics and Discoveries | When the robust and Brass-bound Man commissioned first for sea | ![]() |
The Power of the Dog | Actions and Reactions | There is sorrow enough in the natural way | ![]() |
The Prairie | Letters to the Family | I see the grass shake in the sun for leagues on either hand | ![]() |
The Prayer | Kim | My Brother kneels, so saith Kabir . | ![]() |
The Prayer of Miriam Cohen | Many Inventions | From the wheel and the drift of Things | ![]() |
The Prodigal Son | Kim | Here come I to my own again | ![]() |
Prophets at Home | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Prophets have honour all over the Earth | ![]() |
Puck’s Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | See you the ferny ride that steals | ![]() |
Pussy can sit by the fire | Just So Stories | Pussy can sit by the fire and sing | ![]() |
The Puzzler | Actions and Reactions | The Celt in all his variants from Builth to Ballyhoo | ![]() |
The Queen’s Men | Rewards and Fairies . | Valour and Innocence . | ![]() |
The Rabbi’s Song | Actions and Reactions | If Thought can reach to Heaven | ![]() |
The Recall | Actions and Reactions | I am the land of their fathers | ![]() |
The Return of the Children | Traffics and Discoveries | Neither the harps nor the crowns amused, nor the cherubs’ dove-winged races . | ![]() |
Rimini | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | When I left Rome for Lalage’s sake . | ![]() |
A Ripple Song. | The Second Jungle Book | Once a ripple came to land | ![]() |
Road-Song of the Bandar-log | The Jungle Book | Here we go in a flung festoon | ![]() |
The Run of the Downs | Rewards and Fairies . | The Weald is good, the Downs are best | ![]() |
The Sack of the Gods | The Naulahka | Strangers drawn from the ends of the earth, jewelled and plumed were we | ![]() |
A School Song | Stalky & Co. | ‘Let us now praise famous men’ | ![]() |
A Servant when he Reigneth | Letters to the Family | Three things make earth unquiet | ![]() |
Shiv and the Grasshopper | The Jungle Book | Shiv, who poured the harvest and made the winds to blow | ![]() |
Sir Richard’s Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | I followed my Duke ere I was a lover | ![]() |
A Smugglers’ Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | If you wake at midnight, and hear a horse’s feet | ![]() |
A Song of Kabir | The Second Jungle Book . | Oh, light was the world that he weighed in his hands! | ![]() |
Song of the Fifth River | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | When first by Eden Tree | ![]() |
Song of the Galley-slaves | Many Imventions | We pulled for you when the wind was against us | ![]() |
The Song of the Little Hunter. | The Second Jungle Book . | Ere Mor the Peacock flutters, ere the Monkey People cry | ![]() |
Song of the Men’s Side | Rewards and Fairies . | Once we feared The Beast-when he followed us we ran . | ![]() |
Song of the Red War-Boat | Rewards and Fairies . | Shove off from the wharf edge ! Steady ! | ![]() |
A Song of Travel | Letters to the Family | Where’s the lamp that Hero lit . | ![]() |
A Song to Mithras | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Mithras, God of the Morning, our trumpets waken the Wall! | ![]() |
A St. Helena Lullaby | Rewards and Fairies . | How far is St. Helena from a little child at play?’ | ![]() |
The Stranger | Letters to the Family | The Stranger within my gate | ![]() |
Tarrant Moss | Plain Tales from the Hills | I closed and drew for my love’s sake | ![]() |
There was never a Queen like Balkis | Just So Stories | There was never a Queen like Balkis | ![]() |
This is the mouth-filling song | Just So Stories . | This is the mouth-filling song of the race that was run by a Boomer | ![]() |
Thorkild’s Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | There’s no wind along these seas | ![]() |
The Thousandth Man | Rewards and Fairies . | One man in a thousand, Solomon says | ![]() |
A Three-Part Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | I’m just in love with all these three | ![]() |
A Tree Song | Puck of Pook’s Hill . | Of all the trees that grow so fair | ![]() |
A Truthful Song | Rewards and Fairies . | I tell this tale, which is strictly true . | ![]() |
The Two-Sided Man | Kim . . | Much I owe to the Land that grew . | ![]() |
The Voortrekker | Collected | The gull shall whistle in his wake, the blind wave break in fire | ![]() |
The Way through the Woods | Rewards and Fairies . | They shut the road through the woods | ![]() |
The Wet Litany | Traffics and Discoveries | When the water’s countenance | ![]() |
When the cabin portholes … | Just So Stories . | When the cabin port-holes are dark and green . | ![]() |
When the Great Ark | Letters to the Family | When the Great Ark, in Vigo Bay | ![]() |
The Widower | Various | For a season there must be pain | ![]() |
The Winners | The Story of the Gadsbys | What is the moral? Who rides may read | ![]() |
The Wishing Caps | Kim | Life’s all getting and giving | ![]() |