The Bowman’s Song

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.