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第7章

50 bab ballads-第7章

小说: 50 bab ballads 字数: 每页4000字

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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

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