The Bowman’s Song

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)

From “The White Company”

WHAT of the bow?

The bow was made in England:

Of true wood, of yew wood,

The wood of English bows;

So men who are free

Love the old yew-tree

And the land where the yew-tree grows.

What of the cord?

The cord was made in England:

A rough cord, a tough cord,

A cord that bowmen love;

So we ’ll drain our jacks

To the English flax

And the land where the hemp was wove.

What of the shaft?

The shaft was cut in England:

A long shaft, a strong shaft,

Barbed and trim and true;

So we ’ll drink all together

To the gray goose feather,

And the land where the gray goose flew.

What of the men?

The men were bred in England:

The bowman—the yeoman—

The lads of dale and fell.

Here ’s to you—and to you!

To the hearts that are true

And the land where the true hearts dwell.