The Parting Of The Columns
By Rudyard Kipling
Weve rode and fought and ate and drunk as rations* come to hand,
Together for a year and more around this stinkin land:
Now you are goin home again, but we must see it through.
We neednt tell we liked you well. Good-bye, good luck to you!
You ad no special call to come, and so you doubled out,
And learned us how to camp and cook an steal a horse and scout.
Whatever game we fancied most, you joyful played it too,
And rather better on the whole. Good-bye, good luck to you!
There isnt much we ave nt shared, since Kruger cut and run,
The same old work the same old skoff the same old dust and sun;
The same old chance that laid us out, or winked an let us through;
The same old Life, the same old Death. Good-bye, good luck to you!
Our blood as truly mixed with yours, all down the Red Cross train.
Weve bit the same thermometer in Bloeming-typhoidtein.**
Weve ad the same old temprature, the same relapses too,
The same old saw-backed fever-chart. Good-bye, good luck to you!
But twasnt merely this an that (which all the world may know),
Twas how you talked an looked at things which made us like you so.
All independent, queer an odd, but most amazin new,
My word! you shook us up to rights. Good-bye, good luck to you!
Think o the stories round the fire, the tales along the trek,
O Calgary an Wellinton, an Sydney and Quebec;
Of mine an farm, an ranch an run, an moose an cariboo,
An parrots peckin lambs to death! Good-bye, good luck to you!
Weve seen your ome by word o mouth, weve watched your rivers shine,
Weve eard your bloomin forests blow of eucalip and pine;
Your young, gay countries north and south, we feel we own em too,
For they was made by rank an file. Good-bye, good luck to you,
Well never read the papers now without inquirin first
For word from all those friendly dorps where you was born an nursed.
Why, Dawson, Galle, an Montreal, Port Darwin, Timaru,
Theyre only just across the road! Good-bye, good luck to you!
Good-bye!, So, long! Dont lose yourselves, nor us, nor all kind friends,
But tell the girls your side the drift were comin, when it ends!
Good-bye, you bloomin Atlases! Youve taught us somethin new:
The worlds no bigger than a kraal. Good-bye, good luck to you!