GUNGA DIN

Rudyard Kipling

You may talk o' gin and beer
When you're quartered safe out 'ere,
An' you're sent to penny-fights an' Aldershot it;
But when it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.
Now in Injia's sunny clime,
Where I used to spend my time
A-servin' of 'Er Majesty the Queen,
Of all them blackfaced crew
The finest man I knew
Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din.
   

He was "Din! Din! Din!
  You limpin' lump o' brick-dust, Gunga Din!
    Hi! slippery ~hitherao~!
    Water, get it!  ~Panee lao~!
  You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din."

The uniform 'e wore
Was nothin' much before,
An' rather less than 'arf o' that be'ind,
For a piece o' twisty rag
An' a goatskin water-bag
Was all the field-equipment 'e could find.
When the sweatin' troop-train lay
In a sidin' through the day,
Where the 'eat would make your bloomin' eyebrows crawl,
We shouted "Harry By!"
Till our throats were bricky-dry,
Then we wopped 'im 'cause 'e couldn't serve us all.
   

It was "Din! Din! Din!
  You 'eathen, where the mischief 'ave you been?
    You put some ~juldee~ in it
    Or I'll ~marrow~ you this minute
  If you don't fill up my helmet, Gunga Din!"

'E would dot an' carry one
Till the longest day was done;
An' 'e didn't seem to know the use o' fear.
If we charged or broke or cut,
You could bet your bloomin' nut,
'E'd be waitin' fifty paces right flank rear.
With 'is ~mussick~ on 'is back,
'E would skip with our attack,
An' watch us till the bugles made "Retire",
An' for all 'is dirty 'ide
'E was white, clear white, inside
When 'e went to tend the wounded under fire!
   

It was "Din! Din! Din!"
  With the bullets kickin' dust-spots on the green.
    When the cartridges ran out,
    You could hear the front-files shout,
  "Hi! ammunition-mules an' Gunga Din!"

I shan't forgit the night
When I dropped be'ind the fight
With a bullet where my belt-plate should 'a' been.
I was chokin' mad with thirst,
An' the man that spied me first
Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din.
'E lifted up my 'ead,
An' he plugged me where I bled,
An' 'e guv me 'arf-a-pint o' water-green:
It was crawlin' and it stunk,
But of all the drinks I've drunk,
I'm gratefullest to one from Gunga Din.
   

It was "Din! Din! Din!
  'Ere's a beggar with a bullet through 'is spleen;
    'E's chawin' up the ground,
    An' 'e's kickin' all around:
  For Gawd's sake git the water, Gunga Din!"

'E carried me away
To where a dooli lay,
An' a bullet come an' drilled the beggar clean.
'E put me safe inside,
An' just before 'e died,
"I 'ope you liked your drink", sez Gunga Din.
So I'll meet 'im later on
At the place where 'e is gone --
Where it's always double drill and no canteen;
'E'll be squattin' on the coals
Givin' drink to poor damned souls,
An' I'll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din!
   

Yes, Din! Din! Din!
  You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
    Though I've belted you and flayed you,
    By the livin' Gawd that made you,
  You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

Editor: Lots of bad theology for sure. But, I needed you to read this one. We don't have half the blood and flames flying that Menno Simon and John Hus experienced in the battle for the Truth. We live a jaded life I fear, and we boast too easily of our numbers and how many people walked the aisle at the last revival meeting. I cannot help but feel that, just before the archangel's trump sounds, the battle will be getting pretty hot again. I believe that all of Christendom will unite to follow the dream of Nirvana next door and right now. In the process the best we Bible believers can hope for is to be marginalized.

I suspect that in reality the whole world will soon define Bible believers as hate criminals. And, alleged Christians will be our worst adversary as they do service to Satan and finger Bible believers. Are your friends, are the sheep of you pastors, ready to keep right on the heels of the Good Shepherd? Have you taught them to feed themselves, or are they dependent on you to spoon feed them? Many will fall at once into defeat and terror because of hireling shepherds who did not feed the sheep.

Video of British Veteran Soldier reciting Gunga Din
Burma Star Veteran Malcolm North reciting Gunga Din at the RAFA
club Ripon North Yorkshire after Remembrance Sunday Parade 2007
It is curious that he turned down the offer of a free whiskey. Hmmm

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