you snore, for your head's on the floor, and you've needles and
pins from your soles to your shins, and your flesh is a-creep, for
your left leg's asleep, and you've cramp in your toes, and a fly on
your nose, and some fluff in your lung, and a
feverish tongue, and
a
thirst that's
intense, and a general sense that you haven't been
sleeping in clover;
But the darkness has passed, and it's
daylight at last, and the
night has been long - ditto, ditto my song - and thank goodness
they're both of them over!
Ballad: Don't Forget!
Now, Marco, dear,
My wishes hear:
While you're away
It's understood
You will be good,
And not too gay.
To every trace
Of
maiden grace
You will be blind,
And will not glance
By any chance
On womankind!
If you are wise,
You'll shut your eyes
Till we arrive,
And not address
A lady less
Than forty-five;
You'll please to frown
On every gown
That you may see;
And O, my pet,
You won't forget
You've married me!
O, my
darling, O, my pet,
Whatever else you may forget,
In yonder isle beyond the sea,
O, don't forget you've married me!
You'll lay your head
Upon your bed
At set of sun.
You will not sing
Of anything
To any one:
You'll sit and mope
All day, I hope,
And shed a tear
Upon the life
Your little wife
Is passing here!
And if so be
You think of me,
Please tell the moon;
I'll read it all
In rays that fall
On the lagoon:
You'll be so kind
As tell the wind
How you may be,
And send me words
By little birds
To comfort me!
And O, my
darling, O, my pet,
Whatever else you may forget,
In yonder isle beyond the sea,
O, don't forget you've married me!
Ballad: The Suicide's Grave
On a tree by a river a little tomtit
Sang "Willow, tit
willow, tit
willow!"
And I said to him, "Dicky-bird, why do you sit
Singing 'Willow, tit
willow, tit
willow'?
Is it
weakness of
intellect, birdie?" I cried,
"Or a rather tough worm in your little inside?"
With a shake of his poor little head he replied,
"Oh,
willow, tit
willow, tit
willow!"
He slapped at his chest, as he sat on that bough,
Singing "Willow, tit
willow, tit
willow!"
And a cold perspiration bespangled his brow,
Oh,
willow, tit
willow, tit
willow!
He sobbed and he sighed, and a
gurgle he gave,
Then he threw himself into the billowy wave,
And an echo arose from the suicide's grave -
"Oh,
willow, tit
willow, tit
willow!"
Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name
Isn't Willow, tit
willow, tit
willow,
That 'twas blighted
affection that made him exclaim,
"Oh,
willow, tit
willow, tit
willow!"
And if you remain callous and obdurate, I
Shall
perish as he did, and you will know why,
Though I probably shall not exclaim as I die,
"Oh,
willow, tit
willow, tit
willow!"
Ballad: He And She
[HE.] I know a youth who loves a little maid -
(Hey, but his face is a sight for to see!)
Silent is he, for he's
modest and afraid -
(Hey, but he's timid as a youth can be!)
[SHE.] I know a maid who loves a
gallant youth -
(Hey, but she sickens as the days go by!)
SHE cannot tell him all the sad, sad truth -
(Hey, but I think that little maid will die!)
[BOTH.] Now tell me pray, and tell me true,
What in the world should the poor soul do?
[HE.] He cannot eat and he cannot sleep -
(Hey, but his face is a sight for to see!)
Daily he goes for to wail - for to weep -
(Hey, but he's
wretched as a youth can be!)
[SHE.] She's very thin and she's very pale -
(Hey, but she sickens as the days go by!)
Daily she goes for to weep - for to wail -
(Hey, but I think that little maid will die!)
[BOTH.] Now tell me pray, and tell me true,
What in the world should the poor soul do?
[SHE.] If I were the youth I should offer her my name -
(Hey, but her face is a sight for to see!)
[HE.] If I were the maid I should fan his honest flame -
(Hey, but he's
bashful as a youth can be!)
[SHE.] If I were the youth I should speak to her to-day -
(Hey, but she sickens as the days go by!)
[HE.] If I were the maid I should meet the lad half way -
(For I really do believe that timid youth will die!)
[BOTH.] I thank you much for your
counsel true;
I've
learnt what that poor soul ought to do!
Ballad: The Mighty Must
Come
mighty Must!
Inevitable Shall!
In thee I trust.
Time weaves my coronal!
Go mocking Is!
Go disappointing Was!
That I am this
Ye are the cursed cause!
Yet
humble Second shall be First,
I ween;
And dead and buried be the curst
Has Been!
Oh weak Might Be!
Oh May, Might, Could, Would, Should!
How
powerless ye
For evil or for good!
In every sense
Your moods I cheerless call,
Whate'er your tense
Ye are Imperfect, all!
Ye have deceived the trust I've shown
In ye!
Away! The Mighty Must alone
Shall be!
Ballad: A Mirage
Were I thy bride,
Then the whole world beside
Were not too wide
To hold my
wealth of love -
Were I thy bride!
Upon thy breast
My
loving head would rest,
As on her nest
The tender turtle-dove -
Were I thy bride!
This heart of mine
Would be one heart with thine,
And in that shrine
Our happiness would dwell -
Were I thy bride!
And all day long
Our lives should be a song:
No grief, no wrong
Should make my heart rebel -
Were I thy bride!
The
silvery flute,
The
melancholy lute,
Were night-owl's hoot
To my low-whispered coo -
Were I thy bride!
The skylark's trill
Were but discordance shrill
To the soft thrill
Of wooing as I'd woo -
Were I thy bride!
The rose's sigh
Were as a carrion's cry
To lullaby
Such as I'd sing to thee -
Were I thy bride!
A feather's press
Were leaden heaviness
To my caress.
But then, unhappily,
I'm not thy bride!
Ballad: The Ghosts' High Noon
When the night wind howls in the chimney cowls, and the bat in the
moonlight flies,
And inky clouds, like
funeral shrouds, sail over the
midnight skies
-
When the footpads quail at the night-bird's wail, and black dogs
bay the moon,
Then is the spectres'
holiday - then is the ghosts' high noon!
As the sob of the
breeze sweeps over the trees, and the mists lie
low on the fen,
From grey tombstones are gathered the bones that once were women
and men,
And away they go, with a mop and a mow, to the revel that ends too