by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888)
O! My aged Uncle Arly!
Language: English
I O! My aged Uncle Arly! Sitting on a heap of Barley Thro' the silent hours of night, -- Close beside a leafy thicket: -- On his nose there was a Cricket, -- In his hat a Railway-Ticket; -- (But his shoes were far too tight.) II Long ago, in youth, he squander'd All his goods away, and wander'd To the Tiniskoop-hills afar. There on golden sunsets blazing, Every morning found him gazing,-- Singing -- "Orb! you're quite amazing! How I wonder what you are!" III Like the ancient Medes and Persians, Always by his own exertions He subsisted on those hills; -- Whiles, -- by teaching children spelling, -- Or at times by merely yelling, -- Or at intervals by selling "Propter's Nicodemus Pills." IV Later, in his morning rambles He perceived the moving brambles -- Something square and white disclose; -- "Twas a First-class Railway Ticket; But, on stooping down to pick it Off the ground, -- a pea-green Cricket settled on my uncle's Nose. V Never -- never more, -- Oh! never, Did that Cricket leave him ever, -- Dawn or evening, day or night; -- Clinging as a constant treasure, -- Chirping with a cheerious measure, -- Wholly to my uncle's pleasure (Though his shoes were far too tight.) VI So for three-and-forty winters, Till his shoes were worn to splinters, All those hills he wander'd o'er, -- Sometimes silent; -- sometimes yelling; -- Till he came to Borley-Melling, Near his old ancestral dwelling; -- (But his shoes were far too tight.) VII On a little heap of Barley Died my aged uncle Arly, And they buried him one night; -- Close beside the leafy thicket; -- There, -- his hat and Railway-Ticket; -- There, -- his ever-faithful Cricket; -- (But his shoes were far too tight.)
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Authorship:
- by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888), "Incidents in the Life of my Uncle Arly", appears in Nonsense Songs and Stories, first published 1894 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Richard Farber (b. 1945), "Incidents in the Life of my Uncle Arly", 2020 [ voice and piano ], from Five Diddles for Voice and Piano on Poems by Edward Lear, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edwin Roxburgh (b. 1937), "Uncle Arly", 1971, published 1972 [ narrator and orchestra ], from How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-12
Line count: 56
Word count: 273