Ladies and gallants, well a day!
If ride ye must, and will not stay,
Ah, do not ride in midmost May!
Lassie! be sure to take your brother;
Laddie! go not without grandmother;
Lassie and laddie, take no other!
For I have been the dupe of blisses—
My malison on blonden Misses,
With cherry mouths lip-full with kisses;
And jaunty hats with ribboned bows,
And beaded basques and—heaven knows
What gilded pitfalls full of woes!
Dear little bread-and-butter chit,
You jilted me I must admit—
And split my heart—the deuce a bit!
I swore the jewel of Giamschid
Than you less excellency hid;
You thought so too—you know you did.
And yet you made a famous fool
Of one a lastrum since from school;
I'm on the penitential stool.
With groan and grimace acrimonious,
I vote all flirting most erroneous,
And bivouac with Saint Antonius,
I'll make the calaboose my bunk,
I'll delve in some monastic trunk;
'Twere highly proper to get drunk!
I'll sing Am Rhein in the Casino—
Become obstreperous with Blineau;
In divers ways I'll breeze my spleen, oh!
Lycanthropy to me is placid;
I'll out-strut e'en Haroun Alraschid—
Read Werter, too, for prussic acid.
All womankind shall learn to rue it;
I'll drench my locks with mutton suet,
And guard the corners—young men do it!
Upon reflection, I will not
Become an interesting sot,
And sprout a nasal apricot!
Philosophy shall be obeyed;
I'll puff my meerschaum in the shade,
And live to see you an old maid!
A starch old maid with snuff and chat,
With crimpéd curls and—think of that—
A fusty parrot and—a cat!
I have your tiny gloves hard by;
You gave them to me with a sigh—
They're torn and faded—so am I.
I banquet on them with my looks,
I haunt the meadow—tangled brooks,
And sift dried jasmines from my books.
And brooding o'er them, wrath is felled;
I only see the hands that held,
Becking me ever back to Eld!
Yes—yes! I do forgive the Past;
And though your stars be overcast,
I'll deem you loveliest to the last.
But I shall ride no more away,
In kingly cavalier array,
In midmost love—in midmost May!
If ride ye must, and will not stay,
Ah, do not ride in midmost May!
Lassie! be sure to take your brother;
Laddie! go not without grandmother;
Lassie and laddie, take no other!
For I have been the dupe of blisses—
My malison on blonden Misses,
With cherry mouths lip-full with kisses;
And jaunty hats with ribboned bows,
And beaded basques and—heaven knows
What gilded pitfalls full of woes!
Dear little bread-and-butter chit,
You jilted me I must admit—
And split my heart—the deuce a bit!
I swore the jewel of Giamschid
Than you less excellency hid;
You thought so too—you know you did.
And yet you made a famous fool
Of one a lastrum since from school;
I'm on the penitential stool.
With groan and grimace acrimonious,
I vote all flirting most erroneous,
And bivouac with Saint Antonius,
I'll make the calaboose my bunk,
I'll delve in some monastic trunk;
'Twere highly proper to get drunk!
I'll sing Am Rhein in the Casino—
Become obstreperous with Blineau;
In divers ways I'll breeze my spleen, oh!
Lycanthropy to me is placid;
I'll out-strut e'en Haroun Alraschid—
Read Werter, too, for prussic acid.
All womankind shall learn to rue it;
I'll drench my locks with mutton suet,
And guard the corners—young men do it!
Upon reflection, I will not
Become an interesting sot,
And sprout a nasal apricot!
Philosophy shall be obeyed;
I'll puff my meerschaum in the shade,
And live to see you an old maid!
A starch old maid with snuff and chat,
With crimpéd curls and—think of that—
A fusty parrot and—a cat!
I have your tiny gloves hard by;
You gave them to me with a sigh—
They're torn and faded—so am I.
I banquet on them with my looks,
I haunt the meadow—tangled brooks,
And sift dried jasmines from my books.
And brooding o'er them, wrath is felled;
I only see the hands that held,
Becking me ever back to Eld!
Yes—yes! I do forgive the Past;
And though your stars be overcast,
I'll deem you loveliest to the last.
But I shall ride no more away,
In kingly cavalier array,
In midmost love—in midmost May!