See also original poem and the Christian inspiration Luke 10:38-42.
Astute fans of the poem will notice I’ve dropped two stanzas. It’s still almost five minutes, so I really don’t think we want longer. More astute fans will note I’ve re-ordered two more, because the poem has a subtle a-b-a-b-a-b pattern in its stanzas and the two I dropped were three apart. The most astute fans will notice I moved the final “and” from the end of the penultimate line to the beginning of the ultimate one. From a poetic perspective, it hardly matters, but musically we want to draw out tension before the punchline.
Those who are not fans of the poem may be a bit lost. The original Christian story is a bit obscure, and the Old Money vs People Who Work dichotomy is somewhat more a thing of Kipling’s time than ours. And the connection between them is either pure Kipling or otherwise lost to time.
The Sons of Mary seldom bother,
for they have inherited that good part;
But the Sons of Martha favour their Mother
of the careful soul and the troubled heart.
And because she lost her temper once, and
because she was rude to the Lord her Guest,
Her Sons must wait upon Mary’s Sons,
world without end, reprieve, or rest.
It is their care in all the ages
to take the buffet and cushion the shock.
It is their care that the gear engages;
it is their care that the switches lock.
It is their care that the wheels run truly;
it is their care to embark and entrain,
Tally, transport, and deliver duly
the Sons of Mary by land and main.
They say to mountains, ”Be ye removed”
They say to the lesser floods ”Be dry.”
Under their rods are the rocks reproved;
they are not afraid of that which is high.
Then do the hill tops shake to the summit;
then is the bed of the deep laid bare,
That the Sons of Mary may overcome it,
pleasantly sleeping and unaware.
They do not preach that their God will rouse them
a little before the nuts work loose.
They do not teach that His Pity allows them
to leave their job when they damn well choose.
As in the thronged and the lighted ways,
so in the dark and the desert they stand,
Wary and watchful all their days
that their brethren’s days may be long in the land.
To these from birth is Belief forbidden;
from these till death is Relief afar.
They are concerned with matters hidden;
under the earthline their altars are
The secret fountains to follow up,
waters withdrawn to restore to the mouth,
And gather the floods as in a cup,
and pour them again at a city’s drouth.
And the Sons of Mary smile and are blessed;
they know the angels are on their side.
They know in them is the Grace confessed,
and for them are the Mercies multiplied.
They sit at the Feet; they hear the Word;
they see how truly the Promise runs.
They have cast their burden upon the Lord,
and the Lord He lays it on Martha’s Sons!
