Songs from Books I

Poems linked to stories 1888-1909

(by title)

 

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