...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...

October 27, 2004

Today Is Poetry Wednesday

A fun poem about drinking, by British poet John Masefield (1878-1967).


Captain Stratton's Fancy

Oh some are fond of red wine, and some are fond of white,
And some are all for dancing by the pale moonlight;
But rum alone's the tipple, and the heart's delight
Of the old bold mate of Henry Morgan.

Oh some are fond of Spanish wine, and some are fond of French,
And some'll swallow tay and stuff fit only for a wench;
But I'm for right Jamaica till I roll beneath the bench,
Says the old bold mate of Henry Morgan.

Oh some are for the lily, and some are for the rose,
But I am for the sugar-cane that in Jamaica grows;
For it's that that makes the bonny drink to warm my copper nose,
Says the old bold mate of Henry Morgan.

Oh some are fond of fiddles, and a song well sung,
And some are all for music for to lilt upon the tongue;
But mouths were made for tankards, and for sucking at the bung,
Says the old bold mate of Henry Morgan.

Oh some are fond of dancing, and some are fond of dice,
And some are all for red lips, and pretty lasses' eyes;
But a right Jamaica puncheon is a finer prize
To the old bold mate of Henry Morgan.

Oh some that's good and godly ones they hold that it's a sin
To troll the jolly bowl around, and let the dollars spin;
But I'm for toleration and for drinking at an inn,
Says the old bold mate of Henry Morgan.

Oh some are sad and wretched folk that go in silken suits,
And there's a mort of wicked rogues that live in good reputes;
So I'm for drinking honestly, and dying in my boots,
Like an old bold mate of Henry Morgan.


Sucking at the bung? Not sure i'm down with that image, lol.

Posted by annika, Oct. 27, 2004 |
Rubric: Poetry



Comments

Indeed, most people probably think Captain Morgan is just a made-up advertising character (if they think about such things at all). Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica and Knight of the Garter's hardly bad a way to end for someone who spent most of his life as a pirate (OK, "privateer"). Ironically, of course, the rum that now bears his name and (mildly caricatured) likeness is Puerto Rican rather than Jamaican.

Posted by: Dave J on Oct. 27, 2004

"sucking at the bung" refers to the bunghole of a barrel. Think of it as the spout.

What were you thinking of, annika?

Posted by: Victor on Oct. 28, 2004