My Lady's Law
The Law whereby my lady movesWas never Law to me,But 'tis enough that she approvesWhatever Law it be.
For in that Law, and by that Law,My constant course I'll steer;Not that I heed or deem it dread,But that she holds it dear.
Tho' Asia sent for my contentHer richest argosies,Those would I spurn, and bid return,If that should give her ease.
With equal heart I'd watch departEach spiced sail from sight,Sans bitterness, desiring lessGreat gear than her delight.
Though Kings made swift with many a giftMy proven sword to hire,I would not go nor serve 'em so,Except at her desire.
With even mind, I'd put behindAdventure and acclaim,And clean give o'er, esteeming moreHer favour than my fame.
Yet such am I, yea such am I--Sore bond and freest free,The Law that sways my lady's waysIs mystery to me!
Words in this poem
- deem v. t.
- To decide; to judge; to sentence; to condemn. [OE. demen to judge, condemn, AS. d, fr. d doom; akin to OFries. d, OS. ad, D. doemen, OHG. tuommen, Icel. dæma, Sw. dömma, Dan. dömme, Goth. d. See Doom, n., an]
- spurn v. t.
- To drive back or away, as with the foot; to kick. [OE. spurnen to kick against, to stumble over, AS. spurnan to kick, offend; akin to spura spur, OS. & OHG. spurnan to kick, Icel. spyrna, L. spernere to despise,]
- depart v. i.
- To part; to divide; to separate. [OE. departen to divide, part, depart, F. départir to divide, distribute, se départir to separate one's self, depart; pref. dé- (L. de) + partir to part, depart,]
- sans prep.
- Without; deprived or destitute of. Rarely used as an English word. [F., from L. sine without.]
- acclaim v. i.
- To shout applause.
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
My Lady's Law is in the public domain. This text is taken from Songs from Books, Project Gutenberg ebook #15529; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Rudyard Kipling, My Lady's Law, in Songs from Books (1912), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15529, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/kipling-songs-from-books/my-lady-s-law.html, id L20398.
Form and metre
My Lady's Law is 28 lines in 7 stanzas of 4 lines each. The metre is common measure, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%).
See other poems in common measure.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABAB movesA · meB · approvesA · beB
- 2 -A-A law · steerA · dread · dearA
- 3 -A-A content · argosiesA · return · easeA
- 4 -A-A depart · sightA · less · delightA
- 5 -A-A gift · hireA · so · desireA
- 6 -A-A behind · acclaimA · more · fameA
- 7 AA-A iA · freeA · ways · meA
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against common measure. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| The Law whereby my lady moves | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Was never Law to me, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| But 'tis enough that she approves | 8 | ··˘/··˘/ |
| Whatever Law it be. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| For in that Law, and by that Law, | 8 | ········ |
| My constant course I'll steer; | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Not that I heed or deem it dread, | 8 | ········ |
| But that she holds it dear. | 6 | ······ |
| Tho' Asia sent for my content | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Her richest argosies, | 6 | ·/˘/˘˘ |
| Those would I spurn, and bid return, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| If that should give her ease. | 6 | ······ |
| With equal heart I'd watch depart | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Each spiced sail from sight, | 5 | ····· |
| Sans bitterness, desiring less | 8 | ·/˘˘/˘˘· |
| Great gear than her delight. | 6 | ····˘/ |
| Though Kings made swift with many a gift | 8 | ·····/·· |
| My proven sword to hire, | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| I would not go nor serve 'em so, | 8 | ········ |
| Except at her desire. | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| With even mind, I'd put behind | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Adventure and acclaim, | 6 | ˘/˘·˘/ |
| And clean give o'er, esteeming more | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Her favour than my fame. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Yet such am I, yea such am I-- | 8 | ········ |
| Sore bond and freest free, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| The Law that sways my lady's ways | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Is mystery to me! | 6 | ·/˘˘·· |
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