by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)
Ganges Pilot
Language: English
I have slipped my cable, messmates, I’m drifting down with the tide, I have my sailing orders, while yet an anchor ride. And never on fair June morning have I put out to sea With clearer conscience or better hope, or a heart more light and free. Shoulder to shoulder, Joe, my boy, into the crowd like a wedge Strike with the hangers, messmates, but do not cut with the edge. Cries Charnock, “Scatter the faggots, double that Brahmin in two, The tall pale widow for me, Joe, the little brown girl for you!” Young Joe (you’re nearing sixty), why is your hide so dark? Katie has soft fair blue eyes, who blackened yours? — Why, hark! The morning gun — Ho, steady! the arquebuses to me!, The I ha’ sounded the Dutch High Admiral’s heart as my lead doth sound the sea. Sounding, sounding the Ganges, floating down with the tide, Moore me close to Charnock, next to my nut-brown bride. My blessing to Kate at Fairlight—Holwell, my thanks to you; Steady! We steer for heaven, through sand-drifts cold and blue.
Authorship:
- by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936), "Ganges Pilot", appears in The Light That Failed [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882 - 1961), "Ganges Pilot", 1899 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2022-01-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 182