Knowledge

The Ballad of East and West

Source 📝

126: 27: 280:
son to safety and knocks the pistol out of his hand. When Kamal says that the Colonel's son is only still alive because he has not gestured to his hidden men to kill the young man, the Colonel's son counters that the retribution for his death by the Raj would likely cost Kamal more than the act would be worth. He demands that Kamal return the mare and says he will fight his own way back to his territory.
68: 283:
Through the chase and their posturing, the two men have developed respect for each other. Kamal helps the Colonel's son to his feet, and the young man offers to give the mare to the chieftain as a gift from his father. However, the mare goes over to the Colonel's son and nuzzles him, so Kamal decides
279:
horse and sets off to retrieve the mare. He catches up with Kamal at the edge of the chieftain's territory and fires his pistol, but he misses. Kamal challenges the Colonel's son to a riding contest, and the two men gallop until dawn. The dun falls when crossing a river, and Kamal pulls the Colonel's
382:
term for "stolen". The fourth line contains the word "calkin", a term for part of a horseshoe, which Kamal is said to have "turned", referring to a trick used by horse-mounted brigands of reversing horseshoes to leave misleading tracks. The second quatrain (line 9) has the stock phrase: "Then up and
288:
with which he has equipped her. The Colonel's son offers another pistol to Kamal, saying the first was taken from a foe, but this one is offered by a friend. As a final gesture, Kamal commands his only son go with the Colonel's son to protect and serve him, even though that will mean fighting for
335:
This may be read as saying that it is indisputable that geographic points of the compass will never meet in this life, but that when two strong men meet, the accidents of birth, whether of nationality, race, or family, do not matter at all—the mutual respect such individuals have, each for the
362:. The first line of the actual story, for example, is: "Kamal is out with twenty men to raise the Border-side," meaning that a raid is in progress to cause trouble in the Border. In this poem, the border is the 296:
and ride back to the British fort. Kamal's son is greeted with hostility by the guards, but the Colonel's son admonishes them, saying that his companion is now no longer a border thief, but a fellow soldier.
272:, asks if any of his men know where Kamal might be. One does, and tells him, but warns of the dangers of entering Kamal's territory, which is guarded by tribesmen concealed among the rocks and scrub. 336:
character, prowess, and integrity of the other, are their only criteria for judging and accepting one another. Any differences in ethnicity between such individuals are never even considered.
78: 664: 89: 845: 143: 40: 190: 632: 257: 162: 1569: 656: 537: 358:. The vocabulary, stock phrases and rhythms are reminiscent of the old ballads, and the culture described is not unlike that of the 640: 169: 879: 569: 363: 176: 1408: 1439: 1180: 710: 158: 1574: 1341: 1145: 1138: 765: 1320: 977: 227: 209: 107: 54: 1465: 956: 46: 1257: 853: 423: 147: 1201: 1019: 741: 530: 305:
The first line of the poem is often quoted, sometimes to ascribe racism to Kipling in regard to his views on
1393: 1173: 1545: 1313: 1299: 183: 1194: 1166: 608: 1327: 1271: 1113: 829: 85: 1376: 1334: 1215: 1159: 1012: 872: 821: 624: 523: 82:
that states a Knowledge editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic.
1425: 1355: 1250: 1243: 384: 136: 478: 1403: 1369: 1306: 1285: 805: 750: 726: 1513: 1489: 1152: 734: 561: 375: 284:
to respects the animal's choice. He gives her back to the Colonel's son, along with the fine
1362: 1099: 1005: 907: 696: 672: 8: 1579: 1092: 837: 813: 581: 370:(which was, at the time the poem was written, on the boundary of the Raj, but is now in 1529: 1521: 1446: 1430: 1229: 1078: 1064: 1057: 1050: 1026: 991: 248:. It was first published in 1889, and has been much collected and anthologized since. 1497: 1420: 1187: 1085: 773: 648: 574: 484: 389: 324:
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!
293: 1278: 1222: 1040: 970: 935: 928: 797: 717: 703: 445: 1505: 1473: 1292: 1236: 1071: 1033: 789: 781: 688: 680: 546: 474: 413:
But covered a man of my own men with his rifle cocked on his knee. (lines 43-44)
285: 245: 408:
And thrice he heard a breech-bolt snick tho' never a man was seen. (lines 35-36)
1537: 893: 616: 379: 359: 269: 1563: 1106: 900: 488: 406:
There was rock to the left and rock to the right, and low lean thorn between,
401:
There is rock to the left, and rock to the right, and low lean thorn between,
355: 344: 310: 403:
And ye may hear a breech-bolt snick where never a man is seen. (lines 19-20)
276: 1481: 1398: 942: 921: 914: 264:, steals a British Colonel's prize mare. The Colonel's son, who commands a 396:
There is a couplet that is repeated with slight variations several times:
1348: 963: 949: 589: 418: 367: 313:
the opening line. The full refrain that opens and closes the poem reads:
261: 1208: 340: 309:. Those who quote it thus often miss the third and fourth lines, which 1413: 984: 483:(Definitive ed.). Garden City, NY: Doubleday. pp. 233–236. 411:
There was not a rock for twenty mile, there was not a clump of tree,
125: 506: 371: 348: 318:
Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
515: 1264: 998: 322:
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
320:
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;
502: 306: 265: 1131: 79:
personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay
289:
England against her enemies, which include Kamal himself.
450:
The New Readers' Guide to the Works of Rudyard Kipling
665:
From Sea to Sea and Other Sketches, Letters of Travel
150:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 1561: 383:spoke the Colonel's son that led a troop of the 378:. The second line contains the word "lifted", a 443: 387:", which is also found in the Scottish ballad 531: 393:. Such echoes are found throughout the poem. 846:Rudyard Kipling's Verse: Definitive Edition 55:Learn how and when to remove these messages 538: 524: 657:Wee Willie Winkie and Other Child Stories 421:included the poem in his 1941 collection 228:Learn how and when to remove this message 210:Learn how and when to remove this message 108:Learn how and when to remove this message 469: 467: 446:"Notes on "The Ballad of East and West"" 292:The Colonel's son and Kamal's son swear 473: 1562: 570:The Naulahka: A Story of West and East 641:The Phantom 'Rickshaw and Other Tales 519: 464: 1409:Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer 300: 148:adding citations to reliable sources 119: 61: 20: 1440:Rudyard Kipling: A Remembrance Tale 1181:The Conversion of Aurelian McGoggin 545: 343:, two of which are equivalent to a 13: 1139:The Arrest of Lieutenant Golightly 14: 1591: 1570:Rudyard Kipling poems about India 1321:The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo 978:The Gods of the Copybook Headings 339:The poem is written with rhyming 256:Kamal, a tribal chieftain in the 36:This article has multiple issues. 1466:Caroline Starr Balestier Kipling 880:The Ballad of the 'Clampherdown' 444:John McGivering (27 June 2010). 354:It is written in the style of a 124: 66: 25: 347:. Some texts print the poem in 135:needs additional citations for 44:or discuss these issues on the 1258:Learoyd, Mulvaney and Ortheris 495: 437: 1: 1202:The Drums of the Fore and Aft 1020:The Last of the Light Brigade 755: 430: 159:"The Ballad of East and West" 374:), but it harks back to the 7: 1314:The Ship that Found Herself 887:The Ballad of East and West 854:A Choice of Kipling's Verse 424:A Choice of Kipling's Verse 251: 242:The Ballad of East and West 10: 1596: 1195:The Devil and the Deep Sea 1167:The Butterfly that Stamped 609:Plain Tales from the Hills 275:The Colonel's son takes a 1575:Poetry by Rudyard Kipling 1458: 1386: 1328:The Taking of Lungtungpen 1272:The Man Who Would Be King 1123: 957:The Female of the Species 864: 600: 553: 509:, which fix the location. 1377:Yoked with an Unbeliever 1160:The Broken-Link Handicap 873:The Absent-Minded Beggar 822:The Fringes of the Fleet 625:The Story of the Gadsbys 1426:Aerial Board of Control 1356:Toomai of the Elephants 1244:In the House of Suddhoo 480:Rudyard Kipling's Verse 376:English/Scottish Border 16:Poem by Rudyard Kipling 1404:Indian Railway Library 1307:The Rescue of Pluffles 1114:The White Man's Burden 857:(by T. S. Eliot, 1941) 751:All the Mowgli Stories 727:The Second Jungle Book 416: 333: 88:by rewriting it in an 1514:Georgiana Burne-Jones 1490:John Lockwood Kipling 1153:Bread upon the Waters 1013:The King's Pilgrimage 735:Letting in the Jungle 562:The Light That Failed 452:. The Kipling Society 398: 315: 1363:Watches of the Night 1342:The Three Musketeers 1335:Three and – an Extra 1146:Baa Baa, Black Sheep 1006:In the Neolithic Age 673:Barrack-Room Ballads 349:groups of four lines 144:improve this article 1286:Miss Youghal's Sais 838:Limits and Renewals 825:(1915, non-fiction) 814:Rewards and Fairies 806:Puck of Pook's Hill 582:Captains Courageous 364:North West Frontier 258:North-West Frontier 1530:Philip Burne-Jones 1522:Edward Burne-Jones 1443:(2006 documentary) 1230:His Chance in Life 1079:The Sons of Martha 1027:The Lowestoft Boat 992:Hymn Before Action 830:Debits and Credits 633:In Black and White 501:The poem mentions 90:encyclopedic style 77:is written like a 1557: 1556: 1550: 1542: 1534: 1526: 1518: 1510: 1502: 1501:(mother's family) 1498:MacDonald sisters 1494: 1486: 1478: 1470: 1421:Law of the jungle 1399:Bateman's (house) 697:Mowgli's Brothers 649:Under the Deodars 575:Wolcott Balestier 390:Sir Patrick Spens 301:Critical analysis 294:blood brotherhood 238: 237: 230: 220: 219: 212: 194: 118: 117: 110: 59: 1587: 1548: 1540: 1532: 1524: 1516: 1508: 1500: 1492: 1484: 1476: 1468: 1279:A Matter of Fact 1223:A Germ-Destroyer 971:Gentleman ranker 798:The Five Nations 782:Stalky & Co. 760: 757: 718:Rikki-Tikki-Tavi 540: 533: 526: 517: 516: 510: 499: 493: 492: 475:Kipling, Rudyard 471: 462: 461: 459: 457: 441: 331: 233: 226: 215: 208: 204: 201: 195: 193: 152: 128: 120: 113: 106: 102: 99: 93: 70: 69: 62: 51: 29: 28: 21: 1595: 1594: 1590: 1589: 1588: 1586: 1585: 1584: 1560: 1559: 1558: 1553: 1506:Stanley Baldwin 1474:Elsie Bambridge 1454: 1382: 1293:The Mother Hive 1237:His Wedded Wife 1119: 1072:A Song in Storm 1051:McAndrew's Hymn 860: 790:Just So Stories 758: 689:The Jungle Book 681:Many Inventions 596: 549: 547:Rudyard Kipling 544: 514: 513: 500: 496: 472: 465: 455: 453: 442: 438: 433: 415: 412: 410: 409: 407: 405: 404: 402: 332: 329: 326: 323: 321: 319: 303: 254: 246:Rudyard Kipling 244:" is a poem by 234: 223: 222: 221: 216: 205: 199: 196: 153: 151: 141: 129: 114: 103: 97: 94: 86:help improve it 83: 71: 67: 30: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1593: 1583: 1582: 1577: 1572: 1555: 1554: 1552: 1551: 1546:Alfred Baldwin 1543: 1538:Edward Poynter 1535: 1527: 1519: 1511: 1503: 1495: 1487: 1479: 1471: 1462: 1460: 1456: 1455: 1453: 1452: 1444: 1436: 1428: 1423: 1418: 1417: 1416: 1406: 1401: 1396: 1390: 1388: 1384: 1383: 1381: 1380: 1373: 1366: 1359: 1352: 1345: 1338: 1331: 1324: 1317: 1310: 1303: 1296: 1289: 1282: 1275: 1268: 1261: 1254: 1247: 1240: 1233: 1226: 1219: 1212: 1205: 1198: 1191: 1188:Cupid's Arrows 1184: 1177: 1170: 1163: 1156: 1149: 1142: 1135: 1127: 1125: 1121: 1120: 1118: 1117: 1110: 1103: 1096: 1089: 1082: 1075: 1068: 1061: 1054: 1047: 1037: 1030: 1023: 1016: 1009: 1002: 995: 988: 981: 974: 967: 960: 953: 946: 939: 932: 925: 918: 911: 904: 897: 894:The Beginnings 890: 883: 876: 868: 866: 862: 861: 859: 858: 850: 842: 834: 826: 818: 810: 802: 801:(1903, poetry) 794: 786: 778: 774:The Day's Work 770: 769:(1896, poetry) 766:The Seven Seas 762: 747: 746: 745: 738: 723: 722: 721: 714: 707: 700: 685: 677: 676:(1892, poetry) 669: 661: 653: 645: 637: 629: 621: 617:Soldiers Three 613: 604: 602: 598: 597: 595: 594: 586: 578: 566: 557: 555: 551: 550: 543: 542: 535: 528: 520: 512: 511: 494: 463: 435: 434: 432: 429: 399: 360:Border Reivers 327: 316: 302: 299: 270:Guides Cavalry 253: 250: 236: 235: 218: 217: 132: 130: 123: 116: 115: 74: 72: 65: 60: 34: 33: 31: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1592: 1581: 1578: 1576: 1573: 1571: 1568: 1567: 1565: 1547: 1544: 1539: 1536: 1531: 1528: 1523: 1520: 1515: 1512: 1507: 1504: 1499: 1496: 1491: 1488: 1483: 1480: 1475: 1472: 1467: 1464: 1463: 1461: 1457: 1450: 1449: 1445: 1442: 1441: 1437: 1434: 1433: 1429: 1427: 1424: 1422: 1419: 1415: 1412: 1411: 1410: 1407: 1405: 1402: 1400: 1397: 1395: 1392: 1391: 1389: 1385: 1378: 1374: 1371: 1367: 1364: 1360: 1357: 1353: 1350: 1346: 1343: 1339: 1336: 1332: 1329: 1325: 1322: 1318: 1315: 1311: 1308: 1304: 1301: 1300:The Other Man 1297: 1294: 1290: 1287: 1283: 1280: 1276: 1273: 1269: 1266: 1262: 1259: 1255: 1252: 1248: 1245: 1241: 1238: 1234: 1231: 1227: 1224: 1220: 1217: 1213: 1210: 1206: 1203: 1199: 1196: 1192: 1189: 1185: 1182: 1178: 1175: 1171: 1168: 1164: 1161: 1157: 1154: 1150: 1147: 1143: 1140: 1136: 1133: 1129: 1128: 1126: 1124:Short stories 1122: 1115: 1111: 1108: 1104: 1101: 1097: 1094: 1090: 1087: 1083: 1080: 1076: 1073: 1069: 1066: 1062: 1059: 1055: 1052: 1048: 1045: 1044: 1038: 1035: 1031: 1028: 1024: 1021: 1017: 1014: 1010: 1007: 1003: 1000: 996: 993: 989: 986: 982: 979: 975: 972: 968: 965: 961: 958: 954: 951: 947: 944: 940: 937: 933: 930: 926: 923: 919: 916: 912: 909: 908:The Betrothed 905: 902: 901:The Bell Buoy 898: 895: 891: 888: 884: 881: 877: 874: 870: 869: 867: 863: 856: 855: 851: 848: 847: 843: 840: 839: 835: 832: 831: 827: 824: 823: 819: 816: 815: 811: 808: 807: 803: 800: 799: 795: 792: 791: 787: 784: 783: 779: 776: 775: 771: 768: 767: 763: 753: 752: 748: 743: 739: 736: 732: 731: 729: 728: 724: 719: 715: 712: 711:Tiger! Tiger! 708: 705: 704:Kaa's Hunting 701: 698: 694: 693: 691: 690: 686: 683: 682: 678: 675: 674: 670: 667: 666: 662: 659: 658: 654: 651: 650: 646: 643: 642: 638: 635: 634: 630: 627: 626: 622: 619: 618: 614: 611: 610: 606: 605: 603: 599: 592: 591: 587: 584: 583: 579: 576: 572: 571: 567: 564: 563: 559: 558: 556: 552: 548: 541: 536: 534: 529: 527: 522: 521: 518: 508: 504: 498: 490: 486: 482: 481: 476: 470: 468: 451: 447: 440: 436: 428: 426: 425: 420: 414: 397: 394: 392: 391: 386: 381: 377: 373: 369: 365: 361: 357: 356:border ballad 352: 350: 346: 345:ballad stanza 342: 337: 325: 314: 312: 308: 298: 295: 290: 287: 281: 278: 273: 271: 267: 263: 259: 249: 247: 243: 232: 229: 214: 211: 203: 200:November 2009 192: 189: 185: 182: 178: 175: 171: 168: 164: 161: –  160: 156: 155:Find sources: 149: 145: 139: 138: 133:This article 131: 127: 122: 121: 112: 109: 101: 91: 87: 81: 80: 75:This article 73: 64: 63: 58: 56: 49: 48: 43: 42: 37: 32: 23: 22: 19: 1482:John Kipling 1447: 1438: 1431: 1394:Bibliography 1174:Consequences 1093:The Sweepers 1043:Mary Gloster 1042: 943:Danny Deever 915:Big Steamers 886: 852: 844: 836: 828: 820: 812: 804: 796: 788: 780: 772: 764: 749: 725: 687: 679: 671: 663: 655: 647: 639: 631: 623: 615: 607: 588: 580: 573:(co-author, 568: 560: 497: 479: 454:. Retrieved 449: 439: 422: 417: 400: 395: 388: 353: 338: 334: 317: 304: 291: 282: 274: 255: 241: 239: 224: 206: 197: 187: 180: 173: 166: 154: 142:Please help 137:verification 134: 104: 95: 76: 52: 45: 39: 38:Please help 35: 18: 1451:(2007 film) 1448:My Boy Jack 1435:(1997 play) 1432:My Boy Jack 1349:Thrown Away 1065:Recessional 1058:My Boy Jack 964:Fuzzy-Wuzzy 950:A Death-Bed 759: 1895 601:Collections 419:T. S. Eliot 368:British Raj 341:heptameters 262:British Raj 1580:1899 poems 1564:Categories 1477:(daughter) 1216:False Dawn 1209:Fairy-Kist 1086:Submarines 431:References 311:contradict 170:newspapers 41:improve it 1414:Iron Ring 1251:Kidnapped 985:Gunga Din 936:Dane-geld 929:Cold Iron 489:225762741 330:lines 1-4 98:June 2011 47:talk page 1533:(cousin) 1509:(cousin) 1493:(father) 1370:Wireless 1034:Mandalay 507:Peshawur 477:(1940). 372:Pakistan 328:—  252:The poem 1549:(uncle) 1541:(uncle) 1525:(uncle) 1387:Related 1265:Lispeth 742:Red Dog 730:(1895) 692:(1894) 577:, 1892) 456:24 June 366:of the 268:of the 260:of the 184:scholar 84:Please 1517:(aunt) 1469:(wife) 1459:Family 1107:Ubique 849:(1940) 841:(1932) 833:(1926) 817:(1910) 809:(1906) 793:(1902) 785:(1899) 777:(1898) 684:(1893) 668:(1889) 660:(1888) 652:(1888) 644:(1888) 636:(1888) 628:(1888) 620:(1888) 612:(1888) 593:(1901) 585:(1896) 565:(1891) 554:Novels 503:Abazai 487:  385:Guides 307:Asians 186:  179:  172:  165:  157:  1485:(son) 1100:Tommy 922:Boots 865:Poems 380:Scots 266:troop 191:JSTOR 177:books 1132:.007 1041:The 505:and 485:OCLC 458:2016 286:tack 163:news 999:If— 590:Kim 277:dun 146:by 1566:: 756:c. 466:^ 448:. 427:. 351:. 50:. 1379:" 1375:" 1372:" 1368:" 1365:" 1361:" 1358:" 1354:" 1351:" 1347:" 1344:" 1340:" 1337:" 1333:" 1330:" 1326:" 1323:" 1319:" 1316:" 1312:" 1309:" 1305:" 1302:" 1298:" 1295:" 1291:" 1288:" 1284:" 1281:" 1277:" 1274:" 1270:" 1267:" 1263:" 1260:" 1256:" 1253:" 1249:" 1246:" 1242:" 1239:" 1235:" 1232:" 1228:" 1225:" 1221:" 1218:" 1214:" 1211:" 1207:" 1204:" 1200:" 1197:" 1193:" 1190:" 1186:" 1183:" 1179:" 1176:" 1172:" 1169:" 1165:" 1162:" 1158:" 1155:" 1151:" 1148:" 1144:" 1141:" 1137:" 1134:" 1130:" 1116:" 1112:" 1109:" 1105:" 1102:" 1098:" 1095:" 1091:" 1088:" 1084:" 1081:" 1077:" 1074:" 1070:" 1067:" 1063:" 1060:" 1056:" 1053:" 1049:" 1046:" 1039:" 1036:" 1032:" 1029:" 1025:" 1022:" 1018:" 1015:" 1011:" 1008:" 1004:" 1001:" 997:" 994:" 990:" 987:" 983:" 980:" 976:" 973:" 969:" 966:" 962:" 959:" 955:" 952:" 948:" 945:" 941:" 938:" 934:" 931:" 927:" 924:" 920:" 917:" 913:" 910:" 906:" 903:" 899:" 896:" 892:" 889:" 885:" 882:" 878:" 875:" 871:" 761:) 754:( 744:" 740:" 737:" 733:" 720:" 716:" 713:" 709:" 706:" 702:" 699:" 695:" 539:e 532:t 525:v 491:. 460:. 240:" 231:) 225:( 213:) 207:( 202:) 198:( 188:· 181:· 174:· 167:· 140:. 111:) 105:( 100:) 96:( 92:. 57:) 53:(

Index

improve it
talk page
Learn how and when to remove these messages
personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay
help improve it
encyclopedic style
Learn how and when to remove this message

verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"The Ballad of East and West"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message
Learn how and when to remove this message
Rudyard Kipling
North-West Frontier
British Raj
troop
Guides Cavalry
dun
tack
blood brotherhood
Asians
contradict
heptameters

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.