Centerfire

I am reproducing an old poetry by Rudyad Kipling  that was written during the Raj era.

MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN

In Tropical climes there are those times

When the citizens oft retire

to sit and pant and catch their breath

to be dormant and perspire

The thieves don't care; the bandits don’t dare

The Hindus sleep till one

But mad dogs and Englishmen

Go wander  in the sun

In the Philipines they have the screens

to protect you from the glare

In the Malayasia they have the hats

which the Brit will just not wear

At twelve noon the locals swoon

and no more work is done

But mad dogs and Englishmen

go wandering in the sun

When the world sits in shade

All the people see

The Englishman dons his solar hat

and rides around in glee

When the English claim the Earth these days

The people just poke fun

‘Cause mad dogs and Englishmen

Go out in the midday sun

In a jungle town where the Sun beats down

to the rage of man and beast

The English garb of the Englishman

Gets merely a bit more creased

The outdoors people shun at noon

The morning chores are done

But mad dogs and Englishmen

Keep wandering in the sun

The logic isn’t so hollow

Even the fools choose to follow

one must avoid the solar rays

In the heat of the tropical days

In Hong Kong they strike a gong

and fire off a noonday gun

But mad dogs and Englishmen

go out in the midday sun

In the mangorve swamps

where the python romps

there is peace from twelve till two

The deer lie and go to sleep

for there's nothing else to do

At noon in the humid tropics

Moving is seldom done

But mad dogs and Englishmen

Go out in the midday sun