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~! 1.
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!” 2.
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 3.
Or I’ll ~marrow~ you this minute 4.
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, 5.
‘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!
1. Bring water swiftly
2.Mr. Atkins equivalent for O brother
3. Be Quick
4. .Hit you.
5. Water sack or skin
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Analysis (AI Assisted)
Kipling’s *Gunga Din* is a poem that reveals the complexity of colonial relationships, heroism, and the tension between the raw, brutal realities of war and moments of human decency. On the surface, it appears to celebrate the loyalty and bravery of a native servant—Gunga Din—who serves the British troops in India. But the poem is also a study in contrast, blending scorn and admiration for the man who is both humiliated by his role but ultimately revealed as a true hero in the harshest of circumstances.
The poem is structured as a narrative that recounts the speaker’s experiences during British colonial campaigns in India, where the protagonist, a British soldier, recounts his disdain and mistreatment of Gunga Din, an Indian water-bearer (bhishti). The poem’s language shifts from mockery to respect as the soldier recalls how Gunga Din proves himself to be not only indispensable but, in the end, more honorable than the speaker himself.
**Mockery and Disdain**
The first stanzas begin with derision toward Gunga Din. The speaker uses harsh, dehumanizing language to describe him: “You limpin’ lump o’ brick-dust, Gunga Din!” The imagery here reduces Din to an almost inhuman, base figure, using terms that emphasize his lowly status—his “limpin’ lump” of a body, his “squidgy-nosed old idol” appearance, and the stereotypical view of him as a “heathen.” His role as the water-bearer, subservient to the British soldiers, is constantly belittled. The soldiers expect him to perform menial tasks and are frustrated when he cannot meet their unreasonable demands, such as when they shout at him to bring water “now, now!” The speaker’s irritation at the servant reflects the dismissive attitude the British colonial forces often held toward the native population.
**The Heroism of Gunga Din**
Despite the dismissive tone, Gunga Din’s character gradually shifts as the poem unfolds. He becomes the embodiment of endurance and selflessness. The soldier begins to describe him with more respect, noting that Din carried his water-skin “with our attack,” and even “watched us till the bugles made ‘Retire’.” The recurring refrain “Din! Din! Din!” transitions from mockery to recognition, a refrain that illustrates how Din’s actions earn the admiration of the soldiers, despite their earlier treatment of him. When the soldier is injured, it is Gunga Din who comes to his aid, performing an act of mercy that symbolizes true heroism. “He guv me ‘arf-a-pint o’ water-green,” says the soldier, acknowledging that it may not have been clean, but it was life-saving. The water, “crawlin’ and it stunk,” is far less important than the fact that Din chose to help in the first place.
The soldier, at this point, is no longer thinking of Gunga Din as a mere servant, but as someone who demonstrates great courage and loyalty under fire. He is the one who tends to the soldier’s wounds, who “carried me away,” and who makes the ultimate sacrifice—dying in the line of duty. The poem concludes with the soldier acknowledging that, despite all of his earlier mockery and mistreatment, Gunga Din is a “better man” than he is. The speaker admits, “By the livin’ Gawd that made you, / You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!”
**Colonial Tension**
The poem is much more than a simple narrative about heroism. It is also a nuanced commentary on colonial attitudes, especially those held by British soldiers in India. Gunga Din, in this context, is both a symbol of the native Indian population and a representation of the complex relationships between the colonizers and the colonized. The British soldiers view themselves as superior to the “blackfaced crew,” but Kipling subverts this assumption through the character of Din. By the end of the poem, the native man has shown more honor and bravery than the soldier who initially derided him.
Kipling’s language, especially in the earlier stanzas, contains a bitterness that reflects the racial and class tensions of the time. Words like “heathen,” “squidgy-nosed,” and “idols” point to the speaker’s condescending attitude toward Gunga Din, but Kipling is careful to show that this attitude is ultimately flawed. The repeated refrain “Din! Din! Din!” becomes less of an insult and more of a recognition of Din’s dignity and courage.
**The Legacy of *Gunga Din* and Its Complexity**
In *Gunga Din*, Kipling creates a hero from an unexpected place—an Indian water-bearer who initially seems unworthy of admiration. The poem explores how, even in the harshest of environments, heroism and humanity can shine through. Despite the character’s dehumanization, Din rises to the occasion in a way the British soldiers could not, ultimately saving lives and earning the soldier’s deepest respect. The phrase “You’re a better man than I am” is a powerful acknowledgment, not just of Din’s bravery, but also of the speaker’s own failings.
However, the poem’s colonial context cannot be ignored. The speaker’s initial scorn and his eventual recognition of Din’s superiority reflect the complexities of empire. Din’s role as a servant is essential to the soldiers’ survival, and yet his ultimate sacrifice is dismissed by the larger society. The poem ultimately leaves us with the uncomfortable question of how we assign value to different lives and who is allowed to be remembered as a hero.
In conclusion, *Gunga Din* is a layered poem that captures the harshness of colonial relationships and the redeeming qualities of individuals who rise above societal expectations. Through the character of Gunga Din, Kipling challenges the prejudices and assumptions of the time, revealing a deeper truth about heroism, humanity, and the complexities of war.