Dane-Geld (A.D. 980-1016)

From Songs written for C.R.L. Fletcher's "A History Of England" poem from The Wordsworth Poetry Library~The Works of Rudyard Kipling~.

From poetrybyheart.org
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Dane-Geld (A.D. 980-1016)

It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation

To call upon a neighbour and to say:-

"We invaded you last night-we are quite prepared to fight,

Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld

And the people who ask it explain

That you've only to pay 'em the Dane-geld

And then you'll get rid of the Dane.

It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation

To puff and look important and to say:-

"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the

time to meet you.

We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld

But we've proved it again and again

That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld

You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation

For fear they should succumb and go astray;

So when you are requested to pay up or be molested

You will find it better policy to say:-

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld

No matter how trifling the cost

For the end of that game is oppression and shame

And the nation that plays it is lost!"

Rudyard Kipling.

A little something for the times we live in and with apologies to our Nordic cousins who are very good looking indeed.