The Best School of All -- Sir Henry Newbolt

Guest poem sent in by Mallika Chellappa , as a
followup to the recent school poems:

(Poem #1232) The Best School of All It's good to see the school we knew, the land of youth and dream. To greet again the rule we knew, before we took the stream. Though long we've missed the sight of her, Out hearts may not forget: We've lost the old delight of her, We keep her honour yet. Chorus: We'll honour yet the school we knew The best school of all We'll honour yet the rule we knew Till the last bell call For working days or holidays And glad or melancholy days They were great days and jolly days At the best school of all The stars and sounding vanities That half the crowd bewitch. What are they but inanities To him that treads the pitch? And where's the welth I'm wondering, Could buy the cheers that roll When the last charge goes thundering Towards the twilight goal? Then men that tanned the hide of us, Our daily foes and friends, They shall not lose their pride of us, However the journey ends. Their voice to us who sing of it, No more its message bears, But the round world shall ring of it, And all we are be theirs. To speak of fame a venture is, There's little here can bide, But we may face the centuries, And dare the deepending tide; for though the dust that's part of us, To dust again be gone, Yet here shall beat the heart of us, The school we handed on! We'll honour yet the school we knew The best school of all We'll honour yet the rule we knew Till the last bell call For working days or holidays And glad or melancholy days They were great days and jolly days At the best school of all -- Sir Henry Newbolt

We memorized this one in school, although the poem wasn't in our text. Our
teacher, Miss Dias, wrote it out on the blackboard.  I've always loved the
strong rhythm of Henry Newbolt and Alfred Noyes - the best balladeers
around. Have you run "Drake's Drum" yet? [Not yet - martin]

Although this poem is written for English men, it really doesn't matter, the
nostalgia it evokes works for everybody.

Mallika