50 bab ballads(50篇巴布歌谣)-第19节
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They've often; often; often seen That Actor off the stage!
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Those aged men so lean and wan; They've seen it all before; They
know they'll see the charlatan But twice or three times more。
And so they bear with dance and song; And crimson foil and green;
They wearily sit; and grimly long For the Transformation Scene。
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
HAUNTED? Ay; in a social way By a body of ghosts in dread array;
But no conventional spectres they … Appalling; grim; and tricky: I quail at
mine as I'd never quail At a fine traditional spectre pale; With a turnip
head and a ghostly wail; And a splash of blood on the dickey!
Mine are horrible; social ghosts; … Speeches and women and guests and
hosts; Weddings and morning calls and toasts; In every bad variety: Ghosts
who hover about the grave Of all that's manly; free; and brave: You'll find
their names on the architrave Of that charnel…house; Society。
Black Monday … black as its school…room ink … With its dismal boys
that snivel and think Of its nauseous messes to eat and drink; And its
frozen tank to wash in。 That was the first that brought me grief; And made
me weep; till I sought relief In an emblematical handkerchief; To choke
such baby bosh in。
First and worst in the grim array… Ghosts of ghosts that have gone their
way; Which I wouldn't revive for a single day For all the wealth of
PLUTUS … Are the horrible ghosts that school…days scared: If the classical
ghost that BRUTUS dared Was the ghost of his 〃Caesar〃 unprepared; I'm
sure I pity BRUTUS。
I pass to critical seventeen; The ghost of that terrible wedding scene;
When an elderly Colonel stole my Queen; And woke my dream of heaven。
No schoolgirl decked in her nurse…room curls Was my gushing innocent
Queen of Pearls; If she wasn't a girl of a thousand girls; She was one of
forty…seven!
I see the ghost of my first cigar; Of the thence…arising family jar … Of
my maiden brief (I was at the Bar; And I called the Judge 〃Your wushup!〃)
Of reckless days and reckless nights; With wrenched…off knockers;
extinguished lights; Unholy songs and tipsy fights; Which I strove in vain
to hush up。
Ghosts of fraudulent joint…stock banks; Ghosts of 〃copy; declined with
thanks;〃 Of novels returned in endless ranks; And thousands more; I suffer。
The only line to fitly grace My humble tomb; when I've run my race; Is;
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
I've fought them all; these ghosts of mine; But the weapons I've used
are sighs and brine; And now that I'm nearly forty…nine; Old age is my
chiefest bogy; For my hair is thinning away at the crown; And the silver
fights with the worn…out brown; And a general verdict sets me down As an
irreclaimable fogy。
Footnotes:
(1) A version of this ballad is published as a Song; by Mr。 Jeffreys;
Soho Square。
(2) This ballad is published as a Song; under the title 〃If;〃 by Messrs。
Cramer and Co。
(3) 〃Go with me to a Notary … seal me there Your single bond。〃 MERCHANT
OF VENICE; Act I。; sc。 3。
(4) 〃And there shall she; at Friar Lawrence' cell; Be shrived and
married。〃 … ROMEO AND JULIET; Act II。; sc。 4。
(5) 〃And give the fasting horses provender。〃 … HENRY THE FIFTH;
Act IV。; sc。 2。
(6) 〃Let us; like merchants; show our foulest wares。〃 … TROILUS AND
CRESSIDA; Act I。; sc。 3。
(7) 〃Then must the Jew be merciful。〃 …MERCHANT OF VENICE;
Act IV。; sc。 1。
(8) 〃The spring; the summer; The chilling autumn; angry winter;
change Their wonted liveries。〃 … MIDSUMMER NIGHT DREAM; Act IV。;
sc。 1。
(9) 〃In the county of Glo'ster; justice of the peace and CORAM。〃
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR; Act I。; sc。 1。
(10) 〃What lusty trumpet thus doth summon us?〃 … KING JOHN; Act
V。; sc。 2。
(11) 〃And I'll provide his executioner。〃 … HENRY THE SIXTH
(Second Part); Act III。; sc。 1。
(12) 〃The lioness had torn some flesh away; Which all this while had
bled。〃 … AS YOU LIKE IT; Act IV。; sc。 3。
(13) Described by MUNGO PARK。
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Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
〃Like a bird。〃 … SLANG EXPRESSION。
(15) Reprinted from the 〃The Graphic;〃 by permission of the
proprietors。
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