A Boy Scouts' Patrol Song

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



These are our regulations --
 There's just one law for the Scout
And the first and the last, and the present and the past,
 And the future and the perfect is "Look out!"
 I, thou and he, look out!
 We, ye and they, look out!
 Though you didn't or you wouldn't
 Or you hadn't or you couldn't;
 You jolly well must look out!

Look out, when you start for the day
 That your kit is packed to your mind;
There is no use going away             
 With half of it left behind.
Look out that your laces are tight,
 And your boots are easy and stout,
Or you'll end with a blister at night.
(Chorus) All Patrols look out!

Look out for the birds of the air,
 Look out for the beasts of the field --
They'll tell you how and where
 The other side's concealed.
When the blackbird bolts from the copse,
 Or the cattle are staring about,
The wise commander stops
 And (chorus) All Patrols look out!

Look out when your front is clear,
 And you feel you are bound to win.
Look out for your flank and your rear --
 That's where surprises begin.
For the rustle that isn't a rat,
 For the splash that isn't a trout,
For the boulder that may be a hat
(Chorus) All Patrols look out!

For the innocent knee-high grass,
 For the ditch that never tells,
Look out!  Look out ere you pass --
 And look out for everything else!
A sign mis-read as you run
 May turn retreat to a rout --
For all things under the sun
(Chorus) All Patrols look out!

Look out when your temper goes
 At the end of a losing game;
When your boots are too tight for your toes;
 And you answer and argue and blame.
It's the hardest part of the Low,
 But it has to be learnt by the Scout --
For whining and shirking and "jaw"
(Chorus) All Patrols look out!

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:43 min read
110

Quick analysis:

Scheme abxbbbccb dedefbfB ghghabxb ijijkbkB lxlxmbmB nonoxbxB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,659
Words 332
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 9, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

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

32 fans

Discuss the poem A Boy Scouts' Patrol Song with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "A Boy Scouts' Patrol Song" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/33108/a-boy-scouts'-patrol-song>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    12
    hours
    49
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the epic poem "Os Lusíadas" in 1572?
    A Cesário Verde
    B Miguel Cervantes
    C Luís de Camões
    D Fernando Pessoa