 | Robert Burns |  |
OLD HARLEQUIN PAM.
Our Greatest of Men is Harlequin Pam,
The “Times” says so, and the “Times” cannot bam!
But I'll prove it true. In an Age of Sham,
Our greatest of Humbugs is Harlequin Pam.
Humbug in riches it reeks and it rolls,
Humbug in luxury lazily lolls,
Humbug in Senate and Humbug in Shop,
Humbug makes sweet the Assassin's last drop;
And Pam, Pam is the King of all Sham,
So our greatest of Men must be Harlequin Pam.
England, this is the Man for you,
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
The “Times” says so, and the “Times” cannot bam!
But I'll prove it true. In an Age of Sham,
Our greatest of Humbugs is Harlequin Pam.
Humbug in riches it reeks and it rolls,
Humbug in luxury lazily lolls,
Humbug in Senate and Humbug in Shop,
Humbug makes sweet the Assassin's last drop;
And Pam, Pam is the King of all Sham,
So our greatest of Men must be Harlequin Pam.
England, this is the Man for you,
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
Did the Vessel of State hurry down to the Fall,
No stay from the current, no help for the call!
To the uttermost edge of destruction trackt,
On the crumbling brink of the Cataract,
Pam would go thro' the leap like a Clown
In the Ring, and with grace and applause go down!
Tho' the whirl sank the Ship it could scarce keep a straw in!
And all one to Pam come éclat or a clawin'!
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful sham!
And we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you,
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
No stay from the current, no help for the call!
To the uttermost edge of destruction trackt,
On the crumbling brink of the Cataract,
Pam would go thro' the leap like a Clown
In the Ring, and with grace and applause go down!
Tho' the whirl sank the Ship it could scarce keep a straw in!
And all one to Pam come éclat or a clawin'!
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful sham!
And we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you,
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
That he pulls with the People at first sight is seen;
Look again! they are chained with a post between!
He bullies the weak, to the strong he's a slave,
Best card in the pack when the Despots play knave!
How he jauntily trips up the royal back stair,
To quiet the mob in the Public Square!
Look up, what a firework of words red hot!
But lo! in the enemy's camp not a shot!
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful sham!
And we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you!
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
Look again! they are chained with a post between!
He bullies the weak, to the strong he's a slave,
Best card in the pack when the Despots play knave!
How he jauntily trips up the royal back stair,
To quiet the mob in the Public Square!
14
But lo! in the enemy's camp not a shot!
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful sham!
And we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you!
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
To oblige his Emperor friend who, one day,
Won Imperial stakes as he played foul play,
He put the old Lion in blinkers, and held him,
And tried, per French pattern, to carve him and gild him.
And ere long another high wind will blow,
Then ho! ho! but the Crowns will go!
And what will they do if this Judas of Freedom then
Can't help the Despots who terribly need him then?
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful Sham,
And we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you!
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
Won Imperial stakes as he played foul play,
He put the old Lion in blinkers, and held him,
And tried, per French pattern, to carve him and gild him.
And ere long another high wind will blow,
Then ho! ho! but the Crowns will go!
And what will they do if this Judas of Freedom then
Can't help the Despots who terribly need him then?
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful Sham,
And we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you!
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
This dazzling shallow will shimmer so,
The blind don't see there's no depth below!
This sparkling Sham for a jewel will pass,
If set in a Crown, tho' 't is only cut glass!
This political firefly tho' faded no matter,
'T will gleam out again when it gets in hot water!
This bubble as long as you puff it will float,
And so my song ends with its Cuckoo note.
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful Sham,
But we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you,
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
The blind don't see there's no depth below!
This sparkling Sham for a jewel will pass,
If set in a Crown, tho' 't is only cut glass!
This political firefly tho' faded no matter,
'T will gleam out again when it gets in hot water!
This bubble as long as you puff it will float,
And so my song ends with its Cuckoo note.
Pam, Pam, you're a wonderful Sham,
But we can't do without you, old Harlequin Pam!
England, this is the Man for you,
The “Times” says so, and it must be true.
| Robert Burns | |