If ewe kan keap yor hed wen orl abowt ewe
r lozing therez 'n' blamin itt onn ewe,
Iff ewe kan truste yorself wen orl menn dowt ewe
Butt maik allowunce four there dowbting two,
Iff ewe kan weight 'n' knot bee tyred bye weighting,
Oar bean lyed abowt, doant deel inn liez,
Oar bean haited, doant giv waye too haiting,
'n' yett doant luk two gud, knor torque two wize:

Iff ewe kan dreem--'n' knot maik dreemz yor masta,
Iff ewe kan fink--'n' knot maik thortz yor aime;
Iff ewe kan meat wiv Tryumph 'n' Disasta
'n' treet thoze too impostorz juste thee saim;
Iff ewe kan bare two herw thee trewth ewe've spoaken
Twistud bye knavez two maik a trapp four foolz,
Oar wotch thee thingz ewe gaive yor lyfe two, broaken,
'n' stoope 'n' bild um upp wiv warn-owt toolz:

Iff ewe kan maike 1 heep ov orl yor winningz
'n' rysk itt orl onn 1 tern ov pyitch-n-tos,
'n' loze, 'n' starte againe att yor beginningz
'n' neva breathe a wurd abowt yor los;
If f ewe kan forse yor hart 'n' nurve 'n' synknew
Too serv yor tern longe afta thay r gon,
'n' sew holde onn wen their iz noffing inn ewe
Exsept thee Wil witch sayz too 'em: "Holde onn!"

Iff ewe kan torque wiv crowdz 'n' keap yor virchew,
Oar wark wiv kingz--knor loze thee commun tutch,
Iff neether foez knor lovin frendz kan hert ewe;
Iff orl menn cownt wiv ewe, butt non two mutch,
Iff ewe kan phil thee unfourgivin minit
Wiv sickstee sekundz' wurth ov distanse runn,
Yorz iz thee Urth 'n' evryfig that'z inn itt,
'n'--witch iz moar--ewe wil bee a Mann, mi sun!


eye thort thee abuv iz appropreeate befour wee gow in2 battel 2morra lyke

Wonderful stirring stuff - and written in the original English if I'm not mistaken.

I understood Chaucer better!!

me too