Position:Home>Poetry> There is a poem: The moons my constant mistress and the lovely owl my marrow?

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Tom O'Bedlam's Song

For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam
Ten thousand miles I traveled
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
To save her shoes from gravel!.

Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys
Bedlam boys are bonny
For they all go bare and they live by the air
And they want no drink nor money!.

I went down to Satan's kitchen
To break my fast one morning
And there I got souls piping hot
All on the spit a-turning!.

There I took a cauldron
Where boiled ten thousand harlots
Though full of flame I drank the same
To the health of all such varlets!.

My staff has murdered giants
My bag a long knife carries
To cut mince pies from children's thighs
For which to feed the fairies!.

From the hag and hungry goblin
That into rags would rend ye,
All the sprites that stand by the naked man
In the book of moons, defend ye!.

With a thought I took for Maudlin,
And a cruse of cockle pottage,
With a thing thus tall, Sky bless you all,
I befell into this dotage!.

I slept not since the Conquest,
Till then I never waked,
Till the naked boy of love where I lay
Me found and stript me naked!.

I know more than Apollo,
For oft when he lies sleeping
I see the stars at mortal wars
In the wounded welkin weeping!.

The moon embrace her shepherd,
And the queen of love her warrior
While the first doth horn the star of morn
And the next the heavenly farrier!.

Of thirty years have I
Twice twenty been enragéd
And of forty been three times fifteen
In durance soundly cagéd

On the lordly lofts of Bedlam
With stubble soft and dainty,
Brave bracelets strong, sweet whips, ding-dong,
With wholesome hunger plenty!.

When I short have shorn my sour-face
And swigged my horny barrel
In an oaken inn, I pound my skin
As a suit of gilt apparel!.

The moon's my constant mistress,
And the lonely owl my marrow;
The flaming drake and the night crow make
Me music to my sorrow!.

The spirits white as lightning
Would on my travels guide me
The stars would shake and the moon would quake
Whenever they espied me!.

And then that I'll be murdering
The Man in the Moon to the powder
His staff I'll break, his dog I'll shake
And there'll howl no demon louder!.

With a host of furious fancies,
Whereof I am commander,
With a burning spear and a horse of air
To the wilderness I wander!.

By a knight of ghosts and shadows
I summoned am to tourney
Ten leagues beyond the wide world's end-
Methinks it is no journey


Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I googled what you know and it came up as Tom O' Bedlam Song!. The verses are great!.
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Tom_o'_Bedl!.!.!.

You'll find some info about it at that link, but the version of the poem is most likely the original as it is all in old english!.

A copy of the poem in more contemporary english can be found at the link below!.
http://home!.blarg!.net/~efreeman/Basement!.!.!.

Hope that helps :)

EDIT: haha, so many people answered while I was looking it up!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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ugh someone already answered it, but i would like to say i like the poem,
so i will answer it anyways: Tom O' Bedlam's Song Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I looked it up on Google and it appears to be part of "Tom O'Bedlam's Song"!.

Great lyrics!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Your first answerer has it!!
AND!.!.!.!.It is so fab!!!
Thank you for introducing me to such a fine piece!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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