Poem

The Pride That Comes After

by Henry Lawson · 1905

It knows it all, it knows it all,    The world of groans and laughter,It sneers of pride before a fall,    But the bitter pride comes after:So leave me and I’ll seek you not,    So seek me and you’ll find me—But till I know your hand-grip’s true    I’ll stand with hands behind me.
It knows it all, it knows it all,    The world of lies and sorrow—It prates of pride before a fall,    And of the humble morrow;But shame and blame are but a name,    Oh, heart that’s hurt past curing!We’ll drink to-night the sinner’s pride,    The pride that’s most enduring.
They know it all, they know it all,    The curs that pass the sentence.They preach of pride before a fall    And bitter black repentance:So leave me when my star is set,    I’ll glory that you leave me,While one has pride to love me yet    There’s nought on earth shall grieve me.
Sources, publication & text notesReference details
Canonical recordPOEM-000632
Copy-textWhen I Was King and Other Verses (1905), Project Gutenberg Australia; selected copy-text retained exactly; substantive wording and line/stanza layout independently confirmed against SRC-000067 under D-180
Source recordSRC-000068
Rights determinationRGT-000727
Text statusCANONICAL TEXT READY
TranscriptionDIPLOMATIC_D208_D180

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While The Billy Boils · Public-domain text · www.whilethebillyboils.com.au/poems/the-pride-that-comes-after

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