50 bab ballads-第7章
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Though; on the whole; a wise and upright man;
He sought to make of human pleasures clearances;
And form his priests on that much…lauded plan
Which pays undue attention to appearances。
He couldn't do good deeds without a psalm in 'em;
Although; in truth; he bore away the palm in 'em。
Enraged to find a deacon at a dance;
Or catch a curate at some mild frivolity;
He sought by open censure to enhance
Their dread of joining harmless social jollity。
Yet he enjoyed (a fact of notoriety)
The ordinary pleasures of society。
One evening; sitting at a pantomime
(Forbidden treat to those who stood in fear of him);
Roaring at jokes; SANS metre; sense; or rhyme;
He turned; and saw immediately in rear of him;
His peace of mind upsetting; and annoying it;
A curate; also heartily enjoying it。
Again; 't was Christmas Eve; and to enhance
His children's pleasure in their harmless rollicking;
He; like a good old fellow; stood to dance;
When something checked the current of his frolicking:
That curate; with a maid he treated lover…ly;
Stood up and figured with him in the 〃Coverley!〃
Once; yielding to an universal choice
(The company's demand was an emphatic one;
For the old Bishop had a glorious voice);
In a quartet he joined … an operatic one。
Harmless enough; though ne'er a word of grace in it;
When; lo! that curate came and took the bass in it!
One day; when passing through a quiet street;
He stopped awhile and joined a Punch's gathering;
And chuckled more than solemn folk think meet;
To see that gentleman his Judy lathering;
And heard; as Punch was being treated penalty;
That phantom curate laughing all hyaenally。
Now at a picnic; 'mid fair golden curls;
Bright eyes; straw hats; BOTTINES that fit amazingly;
A croquet…bout is planned by all the girls;
And he; consenting; speaks of croquet praisingly;
But suddenly declines to play at all in it …
The curate fiend has come to take a ball in it!
Next; when at quiet sea…side village; freed
From cares episcopal and ties monarchical;
He grows his beard; and smokes his fragrant weed;
In manner anything but hierarchical …
He sees … and fixes an unearthly stare on it …
That curate's face; with half a yard of hair on it!
At length he gave a charge; and spake this word:
〃Vicars; your curates to enjoyment urge ye may;
To check their harmless pleasuring's absurd;
What laymen do without reproach; my clergy may。〃
He spake; and lo! at this concluding word of him;
The curate vanished … no one since has heard of him。
Ballad: KING BORRIA BUNGALEE BOO。
KING BORRIA BUNGALEE BOO
Was a man…eating African swell;
His sigh was a hullaballoo;
His whisper a horrible yell …
A horrible; horrible yell!
Four subjects; and all of them male;
To BORRIA doubled the knee;
They were once on a far larger scale;
But he'd eaten the balance; you see
(〃Scale〃 and 〃balance〃 is punning; you see)。
There was haughty PISH…TUSH…POOH…BAH;
There was lumbering DOODLE…DUM…DEY;
Despairing ALACK…A…DEY…AH;
And good little TOOTLE…TUM…TEH …
Exemplary TOOTLE…TUM…TEH。
One day there was grief in the crew;
For they hadn't a morsel of meat;
And BORRIA BUNGALEE BOO
Was dying for something to eat …
〃Come; provide me with something to eat!
〃ALACK…A…DEY; famished I feel;
Oh; good little TOOTLE…TUM…TEH;
Where on earth shall I look for a meal?
For I haven't no dinner to…day! …
Not a morsel of dinner to…day!
〃Dear TOOTLE…TUM; what shall we do?
Come; get us a meal; or; in truth;
If you don't; we shall have to eat you;
Oh; adorable friend of our youth!
Thou beloved little friend of our youth!〃
And he answered; 〃Oh; BUNGALEE BOO;
For a moment I hope you will wait; …
TIPPY…WIPPITY TOL…THE…ROL…LOO
Is the Queen of a neighbouring state …
A remarkably neighbouring state。
〃TIPPY…WIPPITY TOL…THE…ROL…LOO;
She would pickle deliciously cold …
And her four pretty Amazons; too;
Are enticing; and not very old …
Twenty…seven is not very old。
〃There is neat little TITTY…FOL…LEH;
There is rollicking TRAL…THE…RAL…LAH;
There is jocular WAGGETY…WEH;
There is musical DOH…REH…MI…FAH …
There's the nightingale DOH…REH…MI…FAH!〃
So the forces of BUNGALEE BOO
Marched forth in a terrible row;
And the ladies who fought for QUEEN LOO
Prepared to encounter the foe …
This dreadful; insatiate foe!
But they sharpened no weapons at all;
And they poisoned no arrows … not they!
They made ready to conquer or fall
In a totally different way …
An entirely different way。
With a crimson and pearly…white dye
They endeavoured to make themselves fair;
With black they encircled each eye;
And with yellow they painted their hair
(It was wool; but they thought it was hair)。
And the forces they met in the field:…
And the men of KING BORRIA said;
〃Amazonians; immediately yield!〃
And their arrows they drew to the head …
Yes; drew them right up to the head。
But jocular WAGGETY…WEH
Ogled DOODLE…DUM…DEY (which was wrong);
And neat little TITTY…FOL…LEH
Said; 〃TOOTLE…TUM; you go along!
You naughty old dear; go along!〃
And rollicking TRAL…THE…RAL…LAH
Tapped ALACK…A…DEY…AH with her fan;
And musical DOH…REH…MI…FAH
Said; 〃PISH; go away; you bad man!
Go away; you delightful young man!〃
And the Amazons simpered and sighed;
And they ogled; and giggled; and flushed;
And they opened their pretty eyes wide;
And they chuckled; and flirted; and blushed
(At least; if they could; they'd have blushed)。
But haughty PISH…TUSH…POOH…BAH
Said; 〃ALACK…A…DEY; what does this mean?〃
And despairing ALACK…A…DEY…AH
Said; 〃They think us uncommonly green!
Ha! ha! most uncommonly green!〃
Even blundering DOODLE…DUM…DEY
Was insensible quite to their leers;
And said good little TOOTLE…TUM…TEH;
〃It's your blood we desire; pretty dears …
We have come for our dinners; my dears!〃
And the Queen of the Amazons fell
To BORRIA BUNGALEE BOO; …
In a mouthful he gulped; with a yell;
TIPPY…WIPPITY TOL…THE…ROL…LOO …
The pretty QUEEN TOL…THE…ROL…LOO。
And neat little TITTY…FOL…LEH
Was eaten by PISH…POOH…BAH;
And light…hearted WAGGETY…WEH
By dismal ALACK…A…DEY…AH …
Despairing ALACK…A…DEY…AH。
And rollicking TRAL…THE…RAL…LAH
Was eaten by DOODLE…DUM…DEY;
And musical DOH…REH…MI…FAH
By good little TOOTLE…DUM…TEH …
Exemplary TOOTLE…TUM…TEH!
Ballad: BOB POLTER。
BOB POLTER was a navvy; and
His hands were coarse; and dirty too;
His homely face was rough and tanned;
His time of life was thirty…two。
He lived among a working clan
(A wife he hadn't got at all);
A decent; steady; sober man …
No saint; however … not at all。
He smoked; but in a modest way;
Because he thought he needed it;
He drank a pot of beer a day;
And sometimes he exceeded it。
At times he'd pass with other men
A loud convivial night or two;
With; very likely; now and then;
On Saturdays; a fight or two。
But still he was a sober soul;
A labour…never…shirking man;
Who paid his way … upon the whole
A decent English working man。
One day; when at the Nelson's Head
(For which he may be blamed of you);
A holy man appeared; and said;
〃Oh; ROBERT; I'm ashamed of you。〃
He laid his hand on ROBERT'S beer
Before he could drink up any;
And on the floor; with sigh and tear;
He poured the pot of 〃thruppenny。〃
〃Oh; ROBERT; at this very bar
A truth you'll be discovering;
A good and evil genius are
Around your noddle hovering。
〃They both are here to bid you shun
The other one's society;
For Total Abstinence is one;
The other; Inebriety。〃
He waved his hand … a vapour came …
A wizard POLTER reckoned him;
A bogy rose and called his name;
And with his finger beckoned him。
The monster's salient points to sum; …
His heavy breath was portery:
His glowi