A Tragedy in Six Spasms
A bard one Spring did blithely sing
Sing hey for a lilting lay, sing hey!
"I'll write a rhyme with a right good ring."
Sing ho for a journey in the inky way!
With dictionaries bound in tan,
With pen and paper he began.
And oh, he was so spick and span.
Sing ho down derry for a literary man!
For a lilting lay sing hey!
"Dear me," quoth he, "now let me see;"
Sing hey for a lilting lay, sing hey!
"My masterpiece this thing must be."
Sing ho for a treader in the inky way!
"A theme that's somewhat fresh to find
I'll exercise my mighty mind.
Now come, ye muses, pray be kind.
Sing hey down derry for the literary grind!
For a lilting lay sing hey!"
"Ah, ha! Hurrah! Also Huzzah!
Sing hey for a lilting lay, sing hey!
Eureka! Likewise Ha, ha, ha!
Sing ho for a header in the inky way!
I have it! Just the very thing!
'Tis inspiration! Now to sing
About the new-born babe of Spring.
Sing ho, with a literary ting-a-ling-a-ling!
For a lilting lay sing hey!"
E'er this was read, I should have said
Sing hey for a lilting lay sing hey!
The bard had influ. in his head.
Sing ho for a treader in the inky way!
He sought to find a rhyme for babe.
Cried he: "Id is ad awful shabe!
Alas! Alack! Cad this be fabe?
Sig ho, dowd derry for the literary gabe,
For a lildig lay sig hey!"
In haste he took each rhyming book,
Sing hey for a lilting lay, sing hey!
And found 'twas waste of time to look.
Sing ho for a plodder in the inky way!
But still he sought, and sought and sought.
Alack, he thought there surely ought
To be a rhyme -- but found he naught.
Sing hey down derry; he was literally caught.
For a lilting lay sing hey!
So, by his lot be warned: I wot
Sing hey for a lilting lay, sing hey!
'Tis vain to search for what is not.
Sing ho for wallow in the inky way.
Alas, there is no rhyme for babe.
Said he: "I thought to make a nabe
Ad dow I cah'd; but all the sabe --
Sig, hey dowd derry for the literary gabe.
For a lilting lay, sig hey."
First published in The Critic, 28 June 1905
Author reference sites: C.J. Dennis, Austlit, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian Poetry Library
See also.
