The Widow At Windsor

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



'Ave you 'eard o' the Widow at Windsor
 With a hairy gold crown on 'er 'ead?
She 'as ships on the foam -- she 'as millions at 'ome,
 An' she pays us poor beggars in red.
    (Ow, poor beggars in red!)
There's 'er nick on the cavalry 'orses,
 There's 'er mark on the medical stores --
An' 'er troopers you'll find with a fair wind be'ind
 That takes us to various wars.
    (Poor beggars! -- barbarious wars!)
       Then 'ere's to the Widow at Windsor,
        An' 'ere's to the stores an' the guns,
       The men an' the 'orses what makes up the forces
        O' Missis Victorier's sons.
       (Poor beggars! Victorier's sons!)
 
Walk wide o' the Widow at Windsor,
 For 'alf o' Creation she owns:
We 'ave bought 'er the same with the sword an' the flame,
 An' we've salted it down with our bones.
    (Poor beggars! -- it's blue with our bones!)
Hands off o' the sons o' the Widow,
 Hands off o' the goods in 'er shop,
For the Kings must come down an' the Emperors frown
 When the Widow at Windsor says "Stop"!
    (Poor beggars! -- we're sent to say "Stop"!)
       Then 'ere's to the Lodge o' the Widow,
        From the Pole to the Tropics it runs --
       To the Lodge that we tile with the rank an' the file,
        An' open in form with the guns.
       (Poor beggars! -- it's always they guns!)
 
We 'ave 'eard o' the Widow at Windsor,
 It's safest to let 'er alone:
For 'er sentries we stand by the sea an' the land
 Wherever the bugles are blown.
    (Poor beggars! -- an' don't we get blown!)
Take 'old o' the Wings o' the Mornin',
 An' flop round the earth till you're dead;
But you won't get away from the tune that they play
 To the bloomin' old rag over'ead.
    (Poor beggars! -- it's 'ot over'ead!)
       Then 'ere's to the sons o' the Widow,
        Wherever, 'owever they roam.
       'Ere's all they desire, an' if they require
        A speedy return to their 'ome.
       (Poor beggars! -- they'll never see 'ome!)

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 29, 2023

1:53 min read
291

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCBBDDBDDADDDD ADCDDBEFEEBDXDD AGBGGFBXBBBCACC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,904
Words 356
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 15, 15, 15

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

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