Half a league, half a league,
    Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
    Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
    Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
    Some one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
    Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
    Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
    Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
    All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
    Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
    Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
    Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
    Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
    All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
    Noble six hundred!

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in the Examiner, December 1854, published separately in 1855 and revised in 1856.

Text Authorship:

• by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), "The Charge of the Light Brigade" [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 Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1911 [ TTBBBB chorus a cappella ], London: Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
• by Alfred Hiles Bergen , "Charge of the Light Brigade", published <<1940 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Blockley (1800 - 1882), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1860 [ voice and piano ], London, Hollier & Lucas ; and London: E. Ascherberg [sung text not yet checked]
• by C. A. Braham , "Noble six-hundred", published 1880 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gerard Francis Cobb (1838 - ?), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1865 [ SATB chorus and orchestra or piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Linton Gardner (1917 - 2011), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", op. 122 no. ? (1974) [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Tennyson Trip [sung text not yet checked]
• by Richard Machill Garth (1860 - ?), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1889 [ chorus and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Eduard Hecht (1832 - 1887), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", op. 10 (<<1875) [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Samuel Ernest Lovatt (1877 - 1954), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1912 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Clara Angela Macirone (1821 - 1915?), "The Balaclava Charge", published 1877 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by ?, Mrs. G. Murray , "The Charge of the 600", published 1861 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Edward Woodall Naylor (1867 - 1934), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1900 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by ?, Mrs. [W. H.?] Owen , "Half a league", published 1855 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1896 [ SATB chorus and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
• possibly by William West (1830 - ?), "The Charge of the Light Brigade", published 1867 [ voice and piano ], composer given as W. West [sung text not yet checked]
• by R. H. Wilson , "The Charge of the Light Brigade", <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-01-29
Line count: 55
Word count: 260