If by Rudyard Kipling.
If you can keep your head when all about you;
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make a heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!
See you later. xxx
Back in the land of the living
4 hours ago
Always loved this.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Ilona.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ilona. Humbling words of Wisdom.
DeleteIn my life I take from this- to keep strong to my beliefs and don't let anybody or anyone sway me from my path( unless I want to wander a while) x
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem-even in a foreign language! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this, Ilona. Wise words to live by, and Michael Caine is a treasure!
ReplyDeletePerfect! I love Sir Michael Caine! My Dad was in Korea, too. We should all feel blessed for their sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteThisis something we all need to read every so often. Beautiful. Thank you for posting it. JanF
ReplyDeleteThank you, I don’t think I have ever read the entire poem. How lovely,
ReplyDeleteHilogene in Az
I am familiar with Rudyard Kipling's poem, and Michael Caine is one of my favourite actors. Hearing Caine recite the poem on your blog has given me a boost today. I would think that if anyone has been an adult for any length of time, he or she could relate to more than one thought in this poem. Thank you for posting it. Mary Jane in Canada.
ReplyDelete