'The Ballad Of Boh Da Thone' by Rudyard Kipling
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This is the ballad of Boh Da Thone,
Erst a Pretender to Theebaw's throne,
Who harried the district of Alalone:
How he met with his fate and the V.P.P.*
At the hand of Harendra Mukerji,
Senior Gomashta, G.B.T.
* Value Payable Parcels Post:in which the Government collects the money
for the sender.
Boh Da Thone was a warrior bold:
His sword and his Snider were bossed with gold,
And the Peacock Banner his henchmen bore
Was stiff with bullion, but stiffer with gore.
He shot at the strong and he slashed at the weak
From the Salween scrub to the Chindwin teak:
He crucified noble, he sacrificed mean,
He filled old ladies with kerosene:
While over the water the papers cried,
"The patriot fights for his countryside!"
But little they cared for the Native Press,
The worn white soldiers in Khaki dress,
Who tramped through the jungle and camped in the byre,
Who died in the swamp and were tombed in the mire,
Who gave up their lives, at the Queen's Command,
For the Pride of their Race and the Peace of the Land.
Now, first of the foemen of Boh Da Thone
Was Captain O'Neil of the "Black Tyrone",
And his was a Company, seventy strong,
Who hustled that dissolute Chief along.
There were lads from Galway and Louth and Meath
Who went to their death with a joke in their teeth,
And worshipped with fluency, fervour, and zeal
The mud on the boot-heels of "Crook" O'Neil.
But ever a blight on their labours lay,
And ever their quarry would vanish away,
Till the sun-dried boys of the Black Tyrone
Took a brotherly interest in Boh Da Thone:
And, sooth, if pursuit in possession ends,
The Boh and his trackers were best of friends.
The word of a scout -- a march by night --
A rush through the mist -- a scattering fight --
A volley from cover -- a corpse in the clearing --
The glimpse of a loin-cloth and heavy jade earring --
The flare of a village -- the tally of slain --
And. . .the Boh was abroad "on the raid" again!
They cursed their luck, as the Irish will,
They gave him credit for cunning and skill,
They buried their dead, they bolted their beef,
And started anew on the track of the thief
Till, in place of the "Kalends of Greece", men said,
"When Crook and his darlings come back with the head."
They had hunted the Boh from the hills to the plain --
He doubled and broke for the hills again:
They had crippled his power for rapine and raid,
They had routed him out of his pet stockade,
And at last, they came, when the Day Star tired,
To a camp deserted -- a village fired.
A black cross blistered the Morning-gold,
And the body upon it was stark and cold.
The wind of the dawn went merrily past,
The high grass bowed her plumes to the blast.
And out of the grass, on a sudden, broke
A spirtle of fire, a whorl of smoke --
And Captain O'Neil of the Black Tyrone
Was blessed with a slug in the ulnar-bone --
The gift of his enemy Boh Da Thone.
(Now a slug that is hammered from telegraph-wire
Is a thorn in the flesh and a rankling fire.)
.....
The shot-wound festered -- as shot-wounds may
In a steaming barrack at Mandalay.
The left arm throbbed, and the Captain swore,
"I'd like to be after the Boh once more!"
The fever held him -- the Captain said,
"I'd give a hundred to look at his head!"
The Hospital punkahs creaked and whirred,
But Babu Harendra (Gomashta) heard.
He thought of the cane-brake, green and dank,
That girdled his home by the Dacca tank.
He thought of his wife and his High School son,
He thought -- but abandoned the thought -- of a gun.
His sleep was broken by visions dread
Of a shining Boh with a silver head.
He kept his counsel and went his way,
And swindled the cartmen of half their pay.
.....
And the months went on, as the worst must do,
And the Boh returned to the raid anew.
But the Captain had quitted the long-drawn strife,
And in far Simoorie had taken a wife.
And she was a damsel of delicate mould,
With hair like the sunshine and heart of gold,
And little she knew the arms that embraced
Had cloven a man from the brow to the waist:
And little she knew that the loving lips
Had ordered a quivering life's eclipse,
And the eye that lit at her lightest breath
Had glared unawed in the Gates of Death.
(For these be matters a man would hide,
As a general rule, from an innocent Bride.)
And little the Captain thought of the past,
And, of all men, Babu Harendra last.
.....
But slow, in the sludge of the Kathun road,
The Government Bullock Train toted its load.
Speckless and spotless and shining with ~ghee~,
In the rearmost cart sat the Babu-jee.
And ever a phantom before him fled
Of a scowling Boh with a silver head.
Then the lead-cart stuck, though the coolies slaved,
And the cartmen flogged and the escort raved;
And out of the jungle, with yells and squeals,
Pranced Boh Da Thone, and his gang at his heels!
Then belching blunderbuss answered back
The Snider's snarl and the carbine's crack,
And the blithe revolver began to sing
To the blade that twanged on the locking-ring,
And the brown flesh blued where the bay'net kissed,
As the steel shot back with a wrench and a twist,
And the great white bullocks with onyx eyes
Watched the souls of the dead arise,
And over the smoke of the fusillade
The Peacock Banner staggered and swayed.
Oh, gayest of scrimmages man may see
Is a well-worked rush on the G.B.T.!
The Babu shook at the horrible sight,
And girded his ponderous loins for flight,
But Fate had ordained that the Boh should start
On a lone-hand raid of the rearmost cart,
And out of that cart, with a bellow of woe,
The Babu fell -- flat on the top of the Boh!
For years had Harendra served the State,
To the growth of his purse and the girth of his ~p]^et~.
There were twenty stone, as the tally-man knows,
On the broad of the chest of this best of Bohs.
And twenty stone from a height discharged
Are bad for a Boh with a spleen enlarged.
Oh, short was the struggle -- severe was the shock --
He dropped like a bullock -- he lay like a block;
And the Babu above him, convulsed with fear,
Heard the labouring life-breath hissed out in his ear.
And thus in a fashion undignified
The princely pest of the Chindwin died.
.....
Turn now to Simoorie where, lapped in his ease,
The Captain is petting the Bride on his knees,
Where the ~whit~ of the bullet, the wounded man's scream
Are mixed as the mist of some devilish dream --
Forgotten, forgotten the sweat of the shambles
Where the hill-daisy blooms and the gray monkey gambols,
From the sword-belt set free and released from the steel,
The Peace of the Lord is with Captain O'Neil.
.....
Up the hill to Simoorie -- most patient of drudges --
The bags on his shoulder, the mail-runner trudges.
"For Captain O'Neil, ~Sahib~.One hundred and ten
Rupees to collect on delivery."
Then
(Their breakfast was stopped while the screw-jack and hammer
Tore waxcloth, split teak-wood, and chipped out the dammer;)
Open-eyed, open-mouthed, on the napery's snow,
With a crash and a thud, rolled -- the Head of the Boh!
And gummed to the scalp was a letter which ran: --
"IN FIELDING FORCE SERVICE.
~Encampment~,
th Jan.
"Dear Sir, -- I have honour to send, ~as you said~,
For final approval (see under) Boh's Head;
"Was took by myself in most bloody affair.
By High Education brought pressure to bear.
"Now violate Liberty, time being bad,
To mail V.P.P. (rupees hundred)Please add
"Whatever Your Honour can pass.Price of Blood
Much cheap at one hundred, and children want food;
"So trusting Your Honour will somewhat retain
True love and affection for Govt. Bullock Train,
"And show awful kindness to satisfy me,
I am,
Graceful Master,
Your
H. MUKERJI."
.....
As the rabbit is drawn to the rattlesnake's power,
As the smoker's eye fills at the opium hour,
As a horse reaches up to the manger above,
As the waiting ear yearns for the whisper of love,
From the arms of the Bride, iron-visaged and slow,
The Captain bent down to the Head of the Boh.
And e'en as he looked on the Thing where It lay
'Twixt the winking new spoons and the napkins' array,
The freed mind fled back to the long-ago days --
The hand-to-hand scuffle -- the smoke and the blaze --
The forced march at night and the quick rush at dawn --
The banjo at twilight, the burial ere morn --
The stench of the marshes -- the raw, piercing smell
When the overhand stabbing-cut silenced the yell --
The oaths of his Irish that surged when they stood
Where the black crosses hung o'er the Kuttamow flood.
As a derelict ship drifts away with the tide
The Captain went out on the Past from his Bride,
Back, back, through the springs to the chill of the year,
When he hunted the Boh from Maloon to Tsaleer.
As the shape of a corpse dimmers up through deep water,
In his eye lit the passionless passion of slaughter,
And men who had fought with O'Neil for the life
Had gazed on his face with less dread than his wife.
For she who had held him so long could not hold him --
Though a four-month Eternity should have controlled him --
But watched the twin Terror -- the head turned to head --
The scowling, scarred Black, and the flushed savage Red --
The spirit that changed from her knowing and flew to
Some grim hidden Past she had never a clue to.
But It knew as It grinned, for he touched it unfearing,
And muttered aloud, "So you kept that jade earring!"
Then nodded, and kindly, as friend nods to friend,
"Old man, you fought well, but you lost in the end."
.....
The visions departed, and Shame followed Passion: --
"He took what I said in this horrible fashion,
"~I'll~ write to Harendra!"With language unsainted
The Captain came back to the Bride. . .who had fainted.
.....
And this is a fiction?No.Go to Simoorie
And look at their baby, a twelve-month old Houri,
A pert little, Irish-eyed Kathleen Mavournin --
She's always about on the Mall of a mornin' --
And you'll see, if her right shoulder-strap is displaced,
This:~Gules~ upon ~argent~, a Boh's Head, ~erased!~
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone: A Masterpiece of Colonial Poetry
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is a classic poem written by Rudyard Kipling, the famed British author and poet. It tells the story of a Burmese military leader who leads a rebellion against the British colonizers in the late 19th century. The poem is a masterful work of colonial literature, capturing the complex relationship between the colonizers and the colonized, and the struggles of both sides to assert their power and identity.
Context and Themes
To understand the significance of The Ballad of Boh Da Thone, it is important to consider the historical context in which it was written. Kipling was a product of the British Empire, born and raised in India, and deeply influenced by his experiences of colonialism and imperialism. His writings often reflect his ambivalent attitude towards the Empire, both celebrating its power and beauty, and criticizing its excesses and injustices.
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is no exception to this pattern. On the surface, the poem presents a straightforward narrative of a rebellion against British rule, with the Burmese hero Boh Da Thone leading his people to victory against the oppressors. However, a closer reading reveals a more complex and nuanced exploration of the themes of power, identity, and cultural clash.
One of the key themes of the poem is the idea of cultural identity and its relation to power. Boh Da Thone is presented as a powerful and charismatic leader, who inspires his people to rise up against the British. He is a symbol of Burmese resistance and pride, embodying the cultural values and traditions of his people. At the same time, the British colonizers are portrayed as arrogant and insensitive, dismissing the culture and customs of the Burmese as primitive and inferior.
This clash of cultural identities is further explored through the use of language in the poem. Kipling employs a rich and evocative vocabulary, drawing on both Burmese and English words to create a vivid and immersive atmosphere. The Burmese characters speak in a distinctive dialect, using idioms and expressions that reflect their cultural heritage. Meanwhile, the British characters speak in a more formal and stilted language, reflecting their condescending attitude towards the Burmese.
Literary Devices and Structure
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is a masterful work of poetry, utilizing a wide range of literary devices to create a rich and complex narrative. One of the most striking features of the poem is its use of repetition and refrain, which creates a sense of rhythm and momentum. The opening lines, for example, repeat the phrase "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea," emphasizing the importance of this location to the story.
Another notable feature of the poem is its use of symbolism and imagery. The Moulmein Pagoda, which serves as the setting for the poem, is a powerful symbol of Burmese culture and religion. The image of the pagoda looking "eastward to the sea" suggests the idea of a clash between Eastern and Western cultures, with the pagoda representing the former and the sea representing the latter.
Kipling also employs a range of stylistic techniques, such as alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia, to create a vivid and immersive atmosphere. For example, the line "An' the dawn-wind brings the clamour of the home-folk overseas" uses alliteration to create a sense of movement and energy, while the phrase "the long-drawn choo-choo" uses onomatopoeia to evoke the sound of a train.
The structure of the poem is also noteworthy, as it is divided into eight stanzas, each with six lines. The use of this symmetrical structure creates a sense of balance and order, while also allowing for a gradual build-up of tension and emotion. The final stanza, which describes Boh Da Thone's death, is particularly powerful, using short and simple lines to create a sense of finality and tragedy.
Interpretation and Significance
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is a poem of great significance, both as a work of literature and as a reflection of the complex history of colonialism and imperialism. On a literary level, the poem is a masterful work of poetry, employing a wide range of techniques to create a vivid and compelling narrative. The use of symbolism, imagery, repetition, and rhythm all contribute to the poem's power and impact, making it a classic of colonial literature.
On a historical level, the poem is also significant, as it reflects the complex and often fraught relationship between the British Empire and its subjects. Kipling's portrayal of the Burmese rebellion as a heroic struggle against oppression reflects the growing sense of nationalism and resistance that was sweeping through many of the Empire's colonies at the time. At the same time, the poem also reflects the attitudes and prejudices of the British colonizers, who saw themselves as superior to the "natives" and often dismissed their culture and customs as inferior.
Overall, The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is a masterpiece of colonial poetry, capturing the complexities and contradictions of a tumultuous period in history. It is a work that continues to resonate with readers today, both as a piece of literature and as a reflection of the ongoing struggles for power and identity in a diverse and ever-changing world.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone: A Masterpiece of Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Prize-winning author, is known for his exceptional works of literature, including the classic poem, The Ballad of Boh Da Thone. This poem is a masterpiece that tells the story of a Burmese rebellion against British colonial rule. It is a powerful and moving piece of literature that captures the essence of the struggle for freedom and the human spirit.
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is a narrative poem that tells the story of a Burmese leader, Boh Da Thone, who leads a rebellion against the British colonial forces. The poem is set in Burma, which was then a British colony, and it captures the tension and conflict between the Burmese people and their colonial rulers. The poem is written in a ballad form, which is a traditional form of poetry that tells a story through song.
The poem begins with the introduction of Boh Da Thone, who is described as a brave and fearless leader. He is a man who is willing to fight for his people and his country, even if it means sacrificing his own life. The poem then goes on to describe the rebellion that Boh Da Thone leads against the British forces. The rebellion is fierce and brutal, and the Burmese people fight with all their might to gain their freedom.
One of the most striking aspects of The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is the way in which Kipling portrays the Burmese people. He portrays them as brave, courageous, and determined, despite the odds being against them. The poem is a tribute to the human spirit and the power of the people to rise up against oppression and fight for their rights.
Kipling also uses vivid imagery and powerful language to bring the poem to life. He describes the battles and the violence in graphic detail, and he captures the emotions of the people involved in the rebellion. The poem is a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and the toll it takes on the human spirit.
The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is also a commentary on the nature of colonialism and imperialism. Kipling portrays the British colonial forces as ruthless and oppressive, and he highlights the injustices that the Burmese people faced under colonial rule. The poem is a powerful critique of the colonial system and a call for freedom and justice.
In conclusion, The Ballad of Boh Da Thone is a masterpiece of literature that captures the essence of the struggle for freedom and the human spirit. It is a powerful and moving poem that tells the story of a Burmese rebellion against British colonial rule. Kipling's use of vivid imagery, powerful language, and traditional ballad form make this poem a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers today.
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