Take up the White Man's burden--
In patience to abide,
To veil
the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and
simple,
An hundred times made plain,
To seek another's profit
And
work another's gain.
Take up the White Man's burden--
The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;
And when
your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch Sloth and heathen
Folly
Bring all your hope to naught.
Take up the White Man's burden--
No tawdry rule of kings,
But
toil of serf and sweeper--
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall
not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go make them with your living,
And mark then with your dead!
Take up the White Man's burden--
And reap his old reward:
The
blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts
ye humour
(Ah slowly) toward the light:--
'Why brought ye us from
bondage,
'Our loved Egyptian night?'
Take up the White Man's burden--
Ye dare not stoop to less--
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness;
By all ye cry
or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent, sullen peoples
Shall
weigh your Gods and you.
Take up the White Man's burden--
Have done with childish days--
The lightly proffered laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now,
to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold-edged with
dear-bought wisdom.
The judgment of your peers!