TCDE-Team at 21:06, 4 April 2026

2026-04-04T21:06:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:06, 4 April 2026
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	''Empire Builders'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in the collected volume [[Songs of the Road]] on 16 march 1911.		''Empire Builders'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in the collected volume [[Songs of the Road]] on 16 march 1911.


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	== Empire Builders ==		== Empire Builders ==

	Captain Temple, D.S.O.,~~<br />~~		<poem>
	With his banjo and retriever.~~<br />~~		Captain Temple, D.S.O.,
	"Rough, I know, on poor old Flo,~~<br />~~		With his banjo and retriever.
	But, by Jove! I couldn't leave her."~~<br />~~		"Rough, I know, on poor old Flo,
	Niger ribbon on his breast,~~<br />~~		But, by Jove! I couldn't leave her."
	In his blood the Niger fever,~~<br />~~		Niger ribbon on his breast,
	Captain Temple, D.S.O.,~~<br />~~		In his blood the Niger fever,
			Captain Temple, D.S.O.,
	With his banjo and retriever.		With his banjo and retriever.

			Cox of the Politicals,
	Cox of the Politicals,~~<br />~~		With his cigarette and glasses,
	With his cigarette and glasses,~~<br />~~		Skilled in Pushtoo gutturals,
	Skilled in Pushtoo gutturals,~~<br />~~		Odd-job man among the Passes,
	Odd-job man among the Passes,~~<br />~~		Keeper of the Zakka Khels,
	Keeper of the Zakka Khels,~~<br />~~		Tutor of the Khaiber Ghazis,
	Tutor of the Khaiber Ghazis,~~<br />~~		Cox of the Politicals,
	Cox of the Politicals,~~<br />~~
	With his cigarette and glasses.		With his cigarette and glasses.

			Mr. Hawkins, Junior Sub.,
	Mr. Hawkins, Junior Sub.,~~<br />~~		Late of Woolwich and Thames Ditton,
	Late of Woolwich and Thames Ditton,~~<br />~~		Thinks his battery the hub
	Thinks his battery the hub~~<br />~~		Of the whole wide orb of Britain.
	Of the whole wide orb of Britain.~~<br />~~		Half a hero, half a cub,
	Half a hero, half a cub,~~<br />~~		Lithe and playful as a kitten,
	Lithe and playful as a kitten,~~<br />~~		Mr. Hawkins, Junior Sub.,
	Mr. Hawkins, Junior Sub.,~~<br />~~
	Late of Woolwich and Thames Ditton.		Late of Woolwich and Thames Ditton.

			Eighty Tommies, big and small,
	Eighty Tommies, big and small,~~<br />~~		Grumbling hard as is their habit.
	Grumbling hard as is their habit.~~<br />~~		"Say, mate, what's a Bunerwal?"
	"Say, mate, what's a Bunerwal?"~~<br />~~		"Sometime like a bloomin' rabbit."
	"Sometime like a bloomin' rabbit."~~<br />~~		"Got to hoof it to Chitral!"
	"Got to hoof it to Chitral!"~~<br />~~		"Blarst ye, did ye think to cab it!"
	"Blarst ye, did ye think to cab it!"~~<br />~~		Eighty Tommies, big and small,
	Eighty Tommies, big and small,~~<br />~~
	Grumbling hard as is their habit.		Grumbling hard as is their habit.

			Swarthy Goorkhas, short and stout,
	Swarthy Goorkhas, short and stout,~~<br />~~		Merry children, laughing, crowing,
	Merry children, laughing, crowing,~~<br />~~		Don't know what it's all about,
	Don't know what it's all about,~~<br />~~		Don't know any use in knowing;
	Don't know any use in knowing;~~<br />~~		Only know they mean to go
	Only know they mean to go~~<br />~~		Where the Sirdar thinks of going.
	Where the Sirdar thinks of going.~~<br />~~		Little Goorkhas, brown and stout,
	Little Goorkhas, brown and stout,~~<br />~~
	Merry children, laughing, crowing.		Merry children, laughing, crowing.

			Funjaub Rifles, fit and trim,
	Funjaub Rifles, fit and trim,~~<br />~~		Curly whiskered sons of battle,
	Curly whiskered sons of battle,~~<br />~~		Very dignified and prim
	Very dignified and prim~~<br />~~		Till they hear the Jezails rattle;
	Till they hear the Jezails rattle;~~<br />~~		Cattle thieves of yesterday,
	Cattle thieves of yesterday,~~<br />~~		Now the wardens of the cattle,
	Now the wardens of the cattle,~~<br />~~		Fighting Brahmins of Lahore,
	Fighting Brahmins of Lahore,~~<br />~~
	Curly whiskered sons of battle.		Curly whiskered sons of battle.

			Up the winding mountain path
			See the long-drawn column go;
			Himalayan aftermath
			Lying rosy on the snow.
			Motley ministers of wrath
			Building better than they know,
			In the rosy aftermath
			Trailing upward to the snow.
			</poem>

	~~Up the winding mountain path<br />~~
	~~See the long-drawn column go;<br />~~
	~~Himalayan aftermath<br />~~
	~~Lying rosy on the snow.<br />~~
	~~Motley ministers of wrath<br />~~
	~~Building better than they know,<br />~~
	~~In the rosy aftermath<br />~~
	~~Trailing upward to the snow.~~

TCDE-Team at 15:33, 21 July 2016

2016-07-21T15:33:53Z

New page

''Empire Builders'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in the collected volume [[Songs of the Road]] on 16 march 1911.

__TOC__

== Editions ==

* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (16 march 1911, [[Smith, Elder & Co.]] [UK])
* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (october 1911, [[Doubleday & McClure Co.|Doubleday, Page & Co.]] [US])
* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (27 january 1920, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[Songs of the Road]]'' (february 1920, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[The Poems of Arthur Conan Doyle]]'' (21 september 1922, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[The Poems of Arthur Conan Doyle]]'' (14 september 1928, [[John Murray]]'s ''Fiction Library'' [UK])

== Empire Builders ==

Captain Temple, D.S.O., 
With his banjo and retriever. 
"Rough, I know, on poor old Flo, 
But, by Jove! I couldn't leave her." 
Niger ribbon on his breast, 
In his blood the Niger fever, 
Captain Temple, D.S.O., 
With his banjo and retriever.

Cox of the Politicals, 
With his cigarette and glasses, 
Skilled in Pushtoo gutturals, 
Odd-job man among the Passes, 
Keeper of the Zakka Khels, 
Tutor of the Khaiber Ghazis, 
Cox of the Politicals, 
With his cigarette and glasses.

Mr. Hawkins, Junior Sub., 
Late of Woolwich and Thames Ditton, 
Thinks his battery the hub 
Of the whole wide orb of Britain. 
Half a hero, half a cub, 
Lithe and playful as a kitten, 
Mr. Hawkins, Junior Sub., 
Late of Woolwich and Thames Ditton.

Eighty Tommies, big and small, 
Grumbling hard as is their habit. 
"Say, mate, what's a Bunerwal?" 
"Sometime like a bloomin' rabbit." 
"Got to hoof it to Chitral!" 
"Blarst ye, did ye think to cab it!" 
Eighty Tommies, big and small, 
Grumbling hard as is their habit.

Swarthy Goorkhas, short and stout, 
Merry children, laughing, crowing, 
Don't know what it's all about, 
Don't know any use in knowing; 
Only know they mean to go 
Where the Sirdar thinks of going. 
Little Goorkhas, brown and stout, 
Merry children, laughing, crowing.

Funjaub Rifles, fit and trim, 
Curly whiskered sons of battle, 
Very dignified and prim 
Till they hear the Jezails rattle; 
Cattle thieves of yesterday, 
Now the wardens of the cattle, 
Fighting Brahmins of Lahore, 
Curly whiskered sons of battle.

Up the winding mountain path 
See the long-drawn column go; 
Himalayan aftermath 
Lying rosy on the snow. 
Motley ministers of wrath 
Building better than they know, 
In the rosy aftermath 
Trailing upward to the snow.

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

Empire Builders - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 21:06, 4 April 2026

TCDE-Team at 15:33, 21 July 2016