Musa Pedestris - Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536 - 1896] - LightNovelsOnl.com
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"RETOURE MY DEAR DELL" [Notes]
[1725]
[From _The New Canting Dictionary_]
I
Each darkmans I pa.s.s in an old shady grove, [1]
And live not the lightmans I toute not my love, [2]
I surtoute every walk, which we used to pa.s.s, [3]
And couch me down weeping, and kiss the cold gra.s.s: [4]
I cry out on my mort to pity my pain, And all our vagaries remember again.
II
Didst thou know, my dear doxy, but half of the smart [5]
Which has seized on my panter, since thou didst depart; [6]
Didst thou hear but my sighs, my complaining and groans, Thou'dst surely retoure, and pity my moans: [7]
Thou'dst give me new pleasure for all my past pain, And I should rejoice in thy glaziers again. [8]
III
But alas! 'tis my fear that the false _Patri-coe_ [9]
Is reaping those transports are only my due: Retoure, my dear doxy, oh, once more retoure, And I'll do all to please thee that lies in my power: Then be kind, my dear dell, and pity my pain, And let me once more toute thy glaziers again
IV
On redshanks and tibs thou shalt every day dine, [10]
And if it should e'er be my hard fate to trine, [11]
I never will whiddle, I never will squeek, [12]
Nor to save my colquarron endanger thy neck, [13]
Then once more, my doxy, be kind and retoure, And thou shalt want nothing that lies in my power.
[1: night]
[2: day; see]
[3: know well]
[4: lie]
[5: mistress]
[6: heart]
[7: return]
[8: eyes]
[9: hedge-priest]
[10: turkey; geese]
[11: hang]
[12: speak]
[13: neck]
THE VAIN DREAMER. [Notes]
[1725]
[From _The New Canting Dictionary_].
I Yest darkmans dream'd I of my dell, [1]
When sleep did overtake her; It was a dimber drowsy mort, [2]
She slept, I durst not wake her.
II
Her gans were like to coral red, [3]
A thousand times I kiss'd 'em; A thousand more I might have filch'd' [4]
She never could have miss'd 'em.
III
Her strammel, curl'd, like threads of gold, [5]
Hung dangling o'er the pillow; Great pity 'twas that one so prim, Should ever wear the willow.
IV
I turned down the lilly slat, [6]
Methought she fell a screaming, This startled me; I straight awak'd, And found myself but dreaming.
[1: evening]
[2: pretty]
[3: lips]
[4: stolen]
[5: hair]
[6: white sheet]
"WHEN MY DIMBER DELL I COURTED" [Notes]
[1725]
[From _The New Canting Dictionary_],
I
When my dimber dell I courted [1]
She had youth and beauty too, Wanton joys my heart transported, And her wap was ever new. [2]
But conquering time doth now deceive her, Which her pleasures did uphold; All her wapping now must leave her, For, alas! my dell's grown old.
