For friends are more than Arno's store Were blither with us here the night Throw ope the window to the stars, Who knows what revelry in Mars Fill up and drain the loving cup And leave no drop to waste! The moon looks in to see what's up Begad, she'd like a taste! What odds if Leinster's kingly roll Be now an idle thing? The world is his who takes his toll, A vagrant or a king. What though the crown be melted down, And the heir a gypsy roam? The Kavanagh receives to-night! McMurrough is at home! We three and the barley-bree! And the moonlight on the floor! Who were a man to do with less? What emperor has more? Three stone jugs of Cruiskeen Lawn, And three stout hearts to drain A slanter to the truth in the heart of youth And the joy of the love of men. Richard Hovey [1864-1900] GLINTS O' SUNSHINE SONG From "Love's Labor's Lost" I-SPRING WHEN daisies pied, and violets blue, Do paint the meadows with delight, Cuckoo, cuckoo, O word of fear, When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks, When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, And maidens bleach their summer smocks, The cuckoo then, on every tree, Mocks married men; for thus sings he, Cuckoo; Cuckoo, cuckoo, O word of fear, Unpleasing to a married ear! When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nipped, and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. When all aloud the wind doth blow, And Marian's nose looks red and raw, Tu-whit, tu-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. William Shakespeare [1564-1616] THE WIDOW THE widow can bake, and the widow can brew, Wi' courage attack her baith early an' late; The widow she's youthfu', an' never ae hair' An' has a rich jointure, my laddie. What could ye wish better, your pleasure to crown, Then till her, an' kill her wi' courtesy dead, Wi' a bonny gay widow, my laddie. Allan Ramsay [1686-175 SNEEZING WHAT a moment, what a doubt! All my nose is inside out, All my thrilling, tickling caustic, Pyramid rhinocerostic, Wants to sneeze and cannot do it! How it yearns me, thrills me, stings me, How with rapturous torment wrings me! Now says, "Sneeze, you fool,-get through it." Ishi-ishi-most del-ishi! (Hang it, I shall sneeze till spring!) Leigh Hunt [1784-1859] CAUTIONARY VERSES TO YOUTH OF BOTH SEXES My little dears, who learn to read, pray early learn to shun It is to make the self-same sound afford a double sense. For instance, ale may make you ail, your aunt an ant may kill, T You in a vale may buy a veil, and Bill may pay the bill. Thus one might say, when to a treat good friends accept our greeting, 'Tis meet that men who meet to eat should eat their meat when meeting. Brawn on the board's no bore indeed, although from boar prepared; Nor can the fowl, on which we feed, foul feeding be declared. Thus one ripe fruit may be a pear, and yet be pared again, And still be one, which seemeth rare until we do explain. It therefore should be all your aim to speak with ample care: For who, however fond of game, would choose to swallow hair? A fat man's gait may make us smile, who have no gate to close: The farmer sitting on his stile no stylish person knows: Perfumers men of scents must be; some Scilly men are bright; A brown man oft deep read we see, a black a wicked wight. Most wealthy men good manors have, however vulgar they; The dyer who by dyeing lives, a dire life maintains; But time or tide won't wait for you, if you are tied for time. Then now you see, my little dears, the way to make a pun; A trick which you, through coming years, should sedulously shun: The fault admits of no defence; for wheresoe'er 'tis found, ! You sacrifice for sound the sense: the sense is never sound. So let your words and actions too, one single meaning prove, And, just in all you say or do, you'll gain esteem and love;" In mirth and play no harm you'll know, when duty's task is done; But parents ne'er should let you go unpunished for a pun. Theodore Edward Hook [1788-1841] A CREDO FOR the sole edification |