Musa Pedestris - Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536 - 1896] Part 11

"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.