Friar’s Song Poem by William Makepeace Thackeray

Friar’s Song

Rating: 2.5


Some love the matin-chimes, which tell
The hour of prayer to sinner:
But better far's the mid-day bell,
Which speaks the hour of dinner;
For when I see a smoking fish,
Or capon drown'd in gravy,
Or noble haunch on silver dish,
Full glad I sing my ave.

My pulpit is an alehouse bench,
Whereon I sit so jolly;
A smiling rosy country wench
My saint and patron holy.
I kiss her cheek so red and sleek,
I press her ringlets wavy,
And in her willing ear I speak
A most religious ave.

And if I'm blind, yet heaven is kind,
And holy saints forgiving;
For sure he leads a right good life
Who thus admires good living.
Above, they say, our flesh is air,
Our blood celestial ichor:
Oh, grant! mid all the changes there,
They may not change our liquor!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 01 December 2015

Oh, grant! mid all the changes there, They may not change our liquor! - - Now it is the friars turn to be roasted. I wonder if Thackeray wrote a poem about both lawyers and poets at the same time

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