50 bab ballads(50篇巴布歌谣)-第2章
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sing This tawdry; tinselled thing?
No airy fairy she; As she hangs in arsenic green From a highly
impossible tree In a highly impossible scene (Herself not over…clean)。 For
fays don't suffer; I'm told; From bunions; coughs; or cold。
And stately dames that bring Their daughters there to see; Pronounce
the 〃dancing thing〃 No better than she should be; With her skirt at her
shameful knee; And her painted; tainted phiz: Ah; matron; which of us is?
(And; in sooth; it oft occurs That while these matrons sigh; Their
dresses are lower than hers; And sometimes half as high; And their hair is
hair they buy; And they use their glasses; too; In a way she'd blush to do。)
But change her gold and green For a coarse merino gown; And see her
upon the scene Of her home; when coaxing down Her drunken father's
frown; In his squalid cheerless den: She's a fairy truly; then!
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
COME with me; little maid; Nay; shrink not; thus afraid … I'll harm thee
not! Fly not; my love; from me … I have a home for thee … A fairy grot;
Where mortal eye Can rarely pry; There shall thy dwelling be!
List to me; while I tell The pleasures of that cell; Oh; little maid! What
though its couch be rude; Homely the only food Within its shade? No
thought of care Can enter there; No vulgar swain intrude!
Come with me; little maid; Come to the rocky shade I love to sing;
Live with us; maiden rare … Come; for we 〃want〃 thee there; Thou elfin
thing; To work thy spell; In some cool cell In stately Pentonville!
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
A TROUBADOUR he played Without a castle wall; Within; a hapless
maid Responded to his call。
〃Oh; willow; woe is me! Alack and well…a…day! If I were only free I'd
hie me far away!〃
Unknown her face and name; But this he knew right well; The
maiden's wailing came From out a dungeon cell。
A hapless woman lay Within that dungeon grim … That fact; I've heard
him say; Was quite enough for him。
〃I will not sit or lie; Or eat or drink; I vow; Till thou art free as I; Or I
as pent as thou。〃
Her tears then ceased to flow; Her wails no longer rang; And tuneful in
her woe The prisoned maiden sang:
〃Oh; stranger; as you play; I recognize your touch; And all that I can
say Is; thank you very much。〃
He seized his clarion straight; And blew thereat; until A warden oped
the gate。 〃Oh; what might be your will?〃
〃I've come; Sir Knave; to see The master of these halls: A maid
unwillingly Lies prisoned in their walls。〃'
With barely stifled sigh That porter drooped his head; With teardrops
in his eye; 〃A many; sir;〃 he said。
He stayed to hear no more; But pushed that porter by; And shortly
stood before SIR HUGH DE PECKHAM RYE。
SIR HUGH he darkly frowned; 〃What would you; sir; with me?〃 The
troubadour he downed Upon his bended knee。
〃I've come; DE PECKHAM RYE; To do a Christian task; You ask me
what would I? It is not much I ask。
〃Release these maidens; sir; Whom you dominion o'er … Particularly
her Upon the second floor。
〃And if you don't; my lord〃 … He here stood bolt upright; And tapped a
tailor's sword … 〃Come out; you cad; and fight!〃
SIR HUGH he called … and ran The warden from the gate: 〃Go; show
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
By many a cell they past; And stopped at length before A portal; bolted
fast: The man unlocked the door。
He called inside the gate With coarse and brutal shout; 〃Come; step it;
Forty…eight!〃 And Forty…eight stepped out。
〃They gets it pretty hot; The maidens what we cotch … Two years this
lady's got For collaring a wotch。〃
〃Oh; ah! … indeed … I see;〃 The troubadour exclaimed … 〃If I may make
so free; How is this castle named?
The warden's eyelids fill; And sighing; he replied; 〃Of gloomy
Pentonville This is the female side!〃
The minstrel did not wait The Warden stout to thank; But recollected
straight He'd business at the Bank。
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
PART I。
AT a pleasant evening party I had taken down to supper One whom I
will call ELVIRA; and we talked of love and TUPPER;
MR。 TUPPER and the Poets; very lightly with them dealing; For I've
always been distinguished for a strong poetic feeling。
Then we let off paper crackers; each of which contained a motto; And
she listened while I read them; till her mother told her not to。
Then she whispered; 〃To the ball…room we had better; dear; be walking;
If we stop down here much longer; really people will be talking。〃
There were noblemen in coronets; and military cousins; There were
captains by the hundred; there were baronets by dozens。
Yet she heeded not their offers; but dismissed them with a blessing;
Then she let down all her back hair; which had taken long in dressing。
Then she had convulsive sobbings in her agitated throttle; Then she
wiped her pretty eyes and smelt her pretty smelling… bottle。
So I whispered; 〃Dear ELVIRA; say; … what can the matter be with you?
Does anything you've eaten; darling POPSY; disagree with you?〃
But spite of all I said; her sobs grew more and more distressing; And
she tore her pretty back hair; which had taken long in dressing。
Then she gazed upon the carpet; at the ceiling; then above me; And she
whispered; 〃FERDINANDO; do you really; REALLY love me?〃
〃Love you?〃 said I; then I sighed; and then I gazed upon her sweetly For
I think I do this sort of thing particularly neatly。
〃Send me to the Arctic regions; or illimitable azure; On a scientific
goose…chase; with my COXWELL or my GLAISHER!
〃Tell me whither I may hie me … tell me; dear one; that I may know … Is
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
But she said; 〃It isn't polar bears; or hot volcanic grottoes: Only find
out who it is that writes those lovely cracker mottoes!〃
PART II。
〃Tell me; HENRY WADSWORTH; ALFRED POET CLOSE; or
MISTER TUPPER; Do you write the bon bon mottoes my ELVIRA pulls
at supper?〃
But HENRY WADSWORTH smiled; and said he had not had that
honour; And ALFRED; too; disclaimed the words that told so much upon
her。
〃MISTER MARTIN TUPPER; POET CLOSE; I beg of you inform
us;〃 But my question seemed to throw them both into a rage enormous。
MISTER CLOSE expressed a wish that he could only get anigh to me;
And MISTER MARTIN TUPPER sent the following reply to me:
〃A fool is bent upon a twig; but wise men dread a bandit;〃 … Which I
know was very clever; but I didn't understand it。
Seven weary years I wandered … Patagonia; China; Norway; Till at last
I sank exhausted at a pastrycook his doorway。
There were fuchsias and geraniums; and daffodils and myrtle; So I
entered; and I ordered half a basin of mock turtle。
He was plump and he was chubby; he was smooth and he was rosy;
And his little wife was pretty and particularly cosy。
And he chirped and sang; and skipped about; and laughed with
laughter hearty … He was wonderfully active for so very stout a party。
And I said; 〃O gentle pieman; why so very; very merry? Is it purity of
conscience; or your one…and…seven sherry?〃
But he answered; 〃I'm so happy … no profession could be dearer … If I
am not humming 'Tra! la! la!' I'm singing 'Tirer; lirer!'
〃First I go and make the patties; and the puddings; and the jellies; Then
I make a sugar bird…cage; which upon a table swell is;
〃Then I polish all the silver; which a supper…table lacquers; Then I
write the pretty mottoes which you find inside the crackers。〃
〃Found at last!〃 I madly shouted。 〃Gentle pieman; you astound me!〃
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
And I shouted and I danced until he'd quite a crowd around him … And
I rush