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(Royal Artillery)
THERE is a word you often see, pronounce it as you may— | |
| “You bike,” “you bykwee,” “ubbikwe”—alludin’ to R. A. | |
| It serves ’Orse, Field, an’ Garrison as motto for a crest, | |
| An’ when you’ve found out all it means I’ll tell you ’alf the rest. | |
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| Ubique means the long-range Krupp be’ind the low-range ’ill— | 5 |
| Ubique means you’ll pick it up an’, while you do, stand still. | |
| Ubique means you’ve caught the flash an’ timed it by the sound. | |
| Ubique means five gunners’ ’ash before you’ve loosed a round. | |
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| Ubique means Blue Fuse, 1 an’ make the ’ole to sink the trail. | |
| Ubique means stand up an’ take the Mauser’s ’alf-mile ’ail. | 10 |
| Ubique means the crazy team not God nor man can ’old. | |
| Ubique means that ’orse’s scream which turns your innards cold! | |
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| Ubique means “Bank, ’Olborn, Bank—a penny all the way”— | |
| The soothin’, jingle-bump-an’-clank from day to peaceful day. | |
| Ubique means “They’ve caught De Wet, an’ now we sha’n’t be long.” | 15 |
| Ubique means “I much regret, the beggar’s goin’ strong!” | |
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| Ubique means the tearin’ drift where, breech-blocks jammed with mud, | |
| The khaki muzzles duck an’ lift across the khaki flood. | |
| Ubique means the dancing plain that changes rocks to Boers. | |
| Ubique means the mirage again an’ shellin’ all outdoors. | 20 |
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| Ubique means “Entrain at once for Grootdefeatfontein”! | |
| Ubique means “Off-load your guns”—at midnight in the rain! | |
| Ubique means “More mounted men. Return all guns to store.” | |
| Ubique means the R. A. M. R. Infantillery Corps! | |
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| Ubique means that warnin’ grunt the perished linesman knows, | 25 |
| When o’er ’is strung an’ sufferin’ front the shrapnel sprays ’is foes; | |
| An’ as their firin’ dies away the ’usky whisper runs | |
| From lips that ’ave n’t drunk all day: “The Guns! Thank Gawd, the Guns!” | |
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| Extreme, depressed, point-blank or short, end-first or any’ow, | |
| From Colesberg Kop to Quagga’s Poort—from Ninety-Nine till now— | 30 |
| By what I’ve ’eard the others tell an’ I in spots ’ave seen, | |
| There’s nothin’ this side ’Eaven or ’Ell Ubique does n’t mean! | |
