France

      By Rudyard Kipling

       Table of Contents

      Broke to every known mischance, lifted over all By the light sane joy of life, the buckler of the Gaul, Furious in luxury, merciless in toil, Terrible with strength that draws from her tireless soil, Strictest judge of her own worth, gentlest of men's mind, First to follow truth and last to leave old truths behind— France beloved of every soul that loves its fellow-kind.

      Ere our birth (rememberest thou?) side

       by side we lay

       Fretting in the womb of Rome to begin

       the fray.

       Ere men knew our tongues apart, our one

       taste was known—

       Each must mould the other's fate as he

       wrought his own.

       To this end we stirred mankind till all

       earth was ours,

       Till our world-end strifes began wayside

       thrones and powers,

       Puppets that we made or broke to bar

       the other's path—

       Necessary, outpost folk, hirelings of our

       wrath.

       To this end we stormed the seas, tack for

       tack, and burst

       Through the doorways of new worlds,

       doubtful which was first.

       Hand on hilt (rememberest thou?), ready

       for the blow.

       Sure whatever else we met we should

       meet our foe.

       Spurred or baulked at ev'ry stride by the

       other's strength,

       So we rode the ages down and every ocean's

       length;

       Where did you refrain from us or we

       refrain from you?

       Ask the wave that has not watched war

       between us two.

       Others held us for a while, but with

       weaker charms,

       These we quitted at the call for each

       other's arms.

       Eager toward the known delight, equally

       we strove,

       Each the other's mystery, terror, need,

       and love.

       To each other's open court with our

       proofs we came,

       Where could we find honour else or men

       to test the claim?

       From each other's throat we wrenched

       valour's last reward,

       That extorted word of praise gasped

       'twixt lunge and guard.

       In each other's cup we poured mingled

       blood and tears,

       Brutal joys, unmeasured hopes,

       intolerable fears,

       All that soiled or salted life for a thousand

       years.

       Proved beyond the need of proof, matched

       in every clime,

       O companion, we have lived greatly

       through all time:

       Yoked in knowledge and remorse now we

       come to rest,

       Laughing at old villainies that time has

       turned to jest,

       Pardoning old necessity no pardon can

       efface—

       That undying sin we shared in Rouen

       market-place.

       Now we watch the new years shape,

       wondering if they hold

       Fiercer lighting in their hearts than we

       launched of old.

       Now we hear new voices rise, question,

       boast or gird,

       As we raged (rememberest thou?) when

       our crowds were stirred.

       Now we count new keels afloat, and new