by Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Sir (1863 - 1944)
Tom Lemin
Language: English
As I was crossing Tanner's Hill From this town to the next one, I peered across the windowsill And spied the gashly sexton. Ho! Ho! Who's there within? 'Tis I, the ghost of Tom Lemin!' Ho! Ho! Why sit ye so? I sit for love of a fair widow Long and long a-languishing, And leary lean a-longing. Go down the town to yon green door, Right opposite the pump as is, And then enquire for Moll Treloar That keeps The Goat and Compasses. Ho! Ho! She've married nine And now's my turn To call her mine. Ho! Ho! They're all bereft And Tom Lemin's the last man left. The fair widow she sat within A-scouring of her pewter; "I come," says I, from Tom Lemin, that is your patient suitor." Ho! Ho! Come drink, my friend, To ghosts I cannot condescend. Ho! Ho! Come taste my brew And then, young man, I'll marry you. Long and long a-languishing And leary lean a-longing. Tho' marriage is a mild design Ordained for human comfort, Yet seeing she'd a-married nine It seemed I'd better run for't. Ho! Ho! No use to run, She've married me So sure's a gun! Ho! Ho! By strength of will And Tom Lemin's left up the hill, Long and long a-languishing And leary lean a-longing.
Authorship:
- by Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Sir (1863 - 1944) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "Tom Lemin" [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 217