The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang Edited by Mrs. Lang |
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Ballade of his Books
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 | The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang |  |
132
Ballade of his Books
Here stand my books, line upon line
They reach the roof, and row by row,
They speak of faded tastes of mine,
And things I did, but do not, know:
Old school books, useless long ago,
Old Logics, where the spirit, railed in,
Could scarcely answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’—
The many things I've tried and failed in!
They reach the roof, and row by row,
They speak of faded tastes of mine,
And things I did, but do not, know:
Old school books, useless long ago,
Old Logics, where the spirit, railed in,
Could scarcely answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’—
The many things I've tried and failed in!
Here's Villon, in morocco fine,
(The poet starved, in mud and snow,)
Glatigny does not crave to dine,
And René's tears forget to flow;
And here's a work by Mrs. Crowe,
With hosts of ghosts and bogies jailed in;
Ah, all my ghosts have gone below—
The many things I've tried and failed in!
(The poet starved, in mud and snow,)
Glatigny does not crave to dine,
And René's tears forget to flow;
And here's a work by Mrs. Crowe,
With hosts of ghosts and bogies jailed in;
Ah, all my ghosts have gone below—
The many things I've tried and failed in!
133
He's touched, this mouldy Greek divine,
The Princess D'Este's hand of snow;
And here the arms of D'Hoym shine,
And there's a tear-bestained Rousseau:
Here's Carlyle shrieking ‘woe on woe’
(The first edition, this, he wailed in);
I once believed in him—but oh,
The many things I've tried and failed in!
The Princess D'Este's hand of snow;
And here the arms of D'Hoym shine,
And there's a tear-bestained Rousseau:
Here's Carlyle shrieking ‘woe on woe’
(The first edition, this, he wailed in);
I once believed in him—but oh,
The many things I've tried and failed in!
Envoy
Prince, tastes may differ; mine and thineQuite other balances are scaled in;
May you succeed, though I repine—
‘The many things I've tried and failed in!’
| The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang | |