A Smuggler's Song
By Rudyard Kipling
If you wake at midnight, and hear a horse's feet,
Don't go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street.
Them that asks no questions isn't told a lie,
Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark —
Brandy for the Parson,
'Baccy for the Clerk;
Laces for a lady, letters for a spy,
And watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
Running round the woodlump if you chance to find
Little barrels, roped and tarred, all full of brandy-wine,
Don't you shout to come and look, nor use 'em for your play.
Put the brishwood back again — and they'll be gone next day!
If you see the stable-door setting open wide;
If you see a tired horse lying down inside;
If your mother mends a coat cut about and tore;
If the lining's wet and warm — don't you ask no more!
If you meet King George's men, dressed in blue and red,
You be careful what you say, and mindful what is said.
If they call you 'pretty maid,' and chuck you 'neath the chin.
Don't you tell where no one is, nor yet where no one's been!
Knocks and footsteps round the house — whistles after dark —
You've no call for running out till the house-dogs bark.
Trusty's here, and Pinchers here, and see how dumb they lie —
They don't fret to follow when the Gentlemen go by!
If you do as you've been told, 'likely there's a chance,
You'll be give a dainty doll, all the way from France,
With a cap of Valenciennes, and a velvet hood —
A present from the Gentlemen, along o' being good!
Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark —
Brandy for the Parson,
'Baccy for the Clerk.
Them that asks no questions isn't told a lie —
Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
Poem Analysis:
Rudyard Kipling’s “A Smuggler’s Song” is a deceptively simple, rhythmically engaging poem that blends charm, tension, and secrecy. Set in rural England, it offers a child's-eye view of the world of smuggling—painted not as a crime but as a mysterious, almost noble enterprise. With its musical cadence and storytelling tone, the poem invites readers into a community where silence is loyalty and danger hides in the dark.
Overview and Structure
The poem is written in six quatrain stanzas with a recurring refrain and rhythmic couplets. The speaker is a mother or elder figure addressing a child, instructing them on how to behave if they happen to witness suspicious or unexplained nighttime activity — specifically, the covert movements of smugglers, euphemistically called “the Gentlemen.”
The repeated chorus — “Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!” — becomes a soothing command, symbolizing both obedience and the unspoken code of rural complicity in smuggling culture.
Themes and Interpretations
1. Secrecy and Complicity
The central message of the poem is clear: say nothing, ask nothing. Smuggling, while technically illegal, is normalized and even romanticized in this tight-knit rural community. Everyone plays a part in protecting the operation, from children to mothers, and even the local clergy.
“Them that asks no questions isn't told a lie”“Put the brishwood back again — and they'll be gone next day!”
These lines suggest a culture where silence is a virtue and discretion a necessity. This collective complicity forms a moral gray zone — smuggling isn't condoned, exactly, but it isn’t condemned either. The poem reflects the way law and morality sometimes part ways in communities reliant on underground economies.
2. Innocence and Indoctrination
The poem is written in a singsong tone appropriate for a lullaby, addressed to a child. But beneath this gentle surface lies a serious lesson: keep your mouth shut. The speaker doesn't merely warn the child about outsiders (like King George's soldiers) but subtly recruits them into the cultural norms of smuggler-friendly country life.
“Don’t you tell where no one is, nor yet where no one’s been!”
The child is being trained to recognize signs of illegal activity — open stable doors, torn coats, barrels hidden in brushwood — and to accept them without question. There is something unsettling in this indoctrination: innocence is preserved through obedience, but it’s also shaped by a culture of quiet collaboration.
3. Authority and Resistance
Kipling juxtaposes “the Gentlemen” with King George’s red-coated soldiers. The smugglers are romanticized — resourceful, courteous, mysterious. The authorities, in contrast, are treated with suspicion. The implication is that the real threat to peace and community harmony comes from the intrusion of government forces, not the illegal traders.
“You be careful what you say, and mindful what is said.”
The poem thus captures the rural resistance to centralized authority, especially in areas where survival might depend on bending the law. Smugglers are not villains but providers — bringing brandy, tobacco, French lace, and even dolls for the children.
Tone and Language
Kipling’s tone is a masterful blend of warmth, suspense, and subtle defiance. The nursery-rhyme rhythm and simple diction contrast sharply with the underlying moral ambiguity. This creates a tension between innocence and danger, secrecy and community loyalty.
“Brandy for the Parson, ’Baccy for the Clerk…”
The line is especially telling: even the church is complicit. It’s a humorous yet pointed critique of societal hypocrisy — the lawbreakers and moral guardians are part of the same economic web.
The repeated chorus lends the poem a hypnotic quality, much like a song sung to a child. But it also reinforces the mantra of silence and the rhythm of nightly smuggling runs.
Symbolism
- The Wall: Symbolizes passive obedience and complicity. Watching the wall means turning a blind eye.
- The Gentlemen: Euphemistic and respectful, this title elevates the smugglers above common criminals. They are men of action, secrecy, and charm.
- King George’s Men: Represent distant authority, intrusive and unwelcome, unaware of or indifferent to local necessity.
Cultural Context
Written in the early 20th century but set in a pre-industrial era, “A Smuggler’s Song” harks back to a time when smuggling was widespread in coastal and rural Britain. High taxes on imported goods like alcohol and tobacco created an underground economy. Communities often viewed smugglers not as outlaws but as folk heroes who defied unfair laws and helped their neighbors.
Kipling, a master of capturing the rhythms and folklore of England, turns this poem into a kind of oral tradition — a whisper passed from one generation to the next.
A Poem of Subtle Rebellion
A Smuggler’s Song is more than a charming lullaby; it is a layered narrative about community loyalty, the blurry lines between legality and morality, and the early shaping of a child’s worldview. Through understated rebellion and quiet instruction, Kipling celebrates a culture where dignity and survival matter more than obedience to the crown.
The poem leaves readers with a haunting refrain — “Watch the wall, my darling…” — that echoes far beyond childhood. It is a reminder of the unwritten rules that govern communities, the moral compromises made in difficult times, and the way silence, sometimes, speaks volumes.