Musa Pedestris - Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536 - 1896] - LightNovelsOnl.com
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CULTURE IN THE SLUMS [1887]
[By WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY: "Inscribed to an intense poet"].
I. _Rondeau._
I
"O crikey, Bill!" she ses to me, she ses.
"Look sharp," ses she, "with them there sossiges.
Yea! sharp with them there bags of mysteree! [1]
For lo!" she ses, "for lo! old pal," ses she, [2]
"I'm blooming peckish, neither more nor less." [3]
II
Was it not prime--I leave you all to guess How prime! to have a jude in love's distress [4]
Come spooning round, and murmuring balmilee, [5]
"O crikey, Bill!"
III
For in such rorty wise doth Love express [6]
His blooming views, and asks for your address, And makes it right, and does the gay and free.
I kissed her--I did so! And her and me Was pals. And if that ain't good business.
O crikey, Bill!
II. _Villanelle_.
I
Now ain't they utterly too--too? [7]
(She ses, my Missus mine, ses she), Them flymy little bits of Blue. [8]
II
Joe, just you kool 'em--nice and skew [9]
Upon our old meogginee, Now ain't they utterly too-too?
III
They're better than a pot'n a screw, They're equal to a Sunday spree, Them flymy little bits of Blue!
IV
Suppose I put 'em up the flue, [10]
And booze the profits, Joe? Not me. [11]
Now ain't they utterly too-too ?
V
I do the 'Igh Art fake, I do.
Joe, I'm consummate; and I _see_ Them flymy little bits of Blue.
VI
Which, Joe, is why I ses to you-- aesthetic-like, and limp, and free-- Now ain't they utterly too-too, Them flymy little bits of Blue?
III. _Ballade_.
I
I often does a quiet read At Booty Sh.e.l.ley's poetry; [12]
I thinks that Swinburne at a screed Is really almost too-too fly; At Signor Vagna's harmony [13]
I likes a merry little flutter; I've had at Pater many a shy; In fact, my form's the Bloomin' Utter.
II
My mark's a tidy little feed, And 'Enery Irving's gallery, To see old 'Amlick do a bleed, And Ellen Terry on the die, Or Franky's ghostes at hi-spy, And parties carried on a shutter [14]
Them vulgar Coupeaus is my eye!
In fact, my form's the Bloomin' Utter.
III
The Grosvenor's nuts--it is, indeed!
I goes for 'Olman 'Unt like pie.
It's equal to a friendly lead [15]
To see B. Jones's judes go by.
Stanhope he makes me fit to cry, Whistler he makes me melt like b.u.t.ter, Strudwick he makes me flash my cly-- [16]
In fact, my form's the Bloomin' Utter.
_Envoy_.
I'm on for any Art that's 'Igh!
I talks as quite as I can splutter; I keeps a Dado on the sly; In fact, my form's the Blooming Utter!
[1: sausages]
[2: friend]
[3: very hungry]
[4: girl]
[5: fondling; softly]
[6: thus expressively]
[7: nice]
[8: _i.e._ china]
