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Friday 29 May 2009

IF...

A poem I used to love back in school.




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 one 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!

11 comments:

  1. I think this is my 2nd favourite poem ever. Kipling is amazing!

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  2. he is! whats ur favourite then? :)

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  3. Ooooh that is a beautiful poem ^_^

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  4. I am REALLY enjoying this blog. From the layout to this poem, I'm just so glad you started blogging WhiteOrchid. I'm into Wordworth, but this is wonderful.

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  5. Hey Lisa, yes Wordsworth is really good too!
    I'm glad u're enjoying my blog :)

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  6. As salamu alaykum,

    Dear sister, thank you for sharing that poem.
    I love it and I wish to pass it on to my son who love poetry.

    Thanks!

    Wa Salamu alaykum,
    Maryam

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  7. salams sister,

    No problem :) It is a beautiful poem :)

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  8. Assalam aleikum wrb Sister,

    My friend gave me this poem a few weeks back and I think it is very meaningful. Wasn't it written in the 1800++? It is still applicable in this age.

    I like this part of the poem:

    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;

    :) What about you?

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  9. Assalaamu alaikum
    thank you sister for the BEAUTIFULL poem.I like also you blog

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