50 bab ballads(50篇巴布歌谣)-第6节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
sombre ghost exclaimed; 〃Your plan Has failed you; goblin; plainly: Now
31
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
〃These are the men who chase the roe; Whose footsteps never falter;
Who bring with them; where'er they go; A smack of old SIR WALTER。 Of
such as he; the men sublime Who lead their troops victorious; Whose
deeds go down to after…time; Enshrined in annals glorious!
〃Of such as he the bard has said 'Hech thrawfu' raltie rorkie! Wi' thecht
ta' croonie clapperhead And fash' wi' unco pawkie!' He'll faint away when
I appear; Upon his native heather; Or p'r'aps he'll only scream with fear; Or
p'r'aps the two together。〃
The spectre showed himself; alone; To do his ghostly battling; With
curdling groan and dismal moan; And lots of chains a…rattling! But no … the
chiel's stout Gaelic stuff Withstood all ghostly harrying; His fingers closed
upon the snuff Which upwards he was carrying。
For days that ghost declined to stir; A foggy shapeless giant … For
weeks that splendid officer Stared back again defiant。 Just as the
Englishman returned The goblin's vulgar staring; Just so the Scotchman
boldly spurned The ghost's unmannered scaring。
For several years the ghostly twain These Britons bold have haunted;
But all their efforts are in vain … Their victims stand undaunted。 This very
day the imp; and ghost; Whose powers the imp derided; Stand each at his
allotted post … The bet is undecided。
32
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
A BISHOP once … I will not name his see … Annoyed his clergy in the
mode conventional; From pulpit shackles never set them free; And found a
sin where sin was unintentional。 All pleasures ended in abuse auricular The
Bishop was so terribly particular。
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。
33
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
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。
34
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
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…TUMTEH;
Where on earth shall I look for a meal? For I haven't no dinner today!
… 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 TRALTHE…
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
35
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
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…ROLLOO
… 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 DOODLEDUM…
DEY; And musical DOH…REH…MI…FAH By good little TOOTLEDUM…
TEH … Exemplary TOOTLE…TUM…TEH!
36
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
7
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
Fifty 〃Bab〃 Ballads … Much Sound and Little Sense
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;