THE ROLLING ENGLISH ROAD

May 21st, 2008 admin

Thanks to Aaron for posting this poem by G.K. Chesterton

The Rolling English Road

Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire;
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.
I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire,
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire;
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made,
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands,
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.
His sins they were forgiven him; or why do flowers run
Behind him; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun?
The wild thing went from left to right and knew not which was which,
But the wild rose was above him when they found him in the ditch.
God pardon us, nor harden us; we did not see so clear
The night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier.
My friends, we will not go again or ape an ancient rage,
Or stretch the folly of our youth to be the shame of age,
But walk with clearer eyes and ears this path that wandereth,
And see undrugged in evening light the decent inn of death;
For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen,
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.

ONE RESPONSE TO “THE ROLLING ENGLISH ROAD”

  1. David B. Wildgoose Says:
    May 24th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

    This poem, (along with “Maud Muller”) was a favourite poem when I was a child.

    It’s actually taken from Chesterton’s book “The Flying Inn”, a witty and satirical romp that should be read more widely. In one part, one of the heros (a giant Irishman) says that it is a terrible thing when England is ruled by someone without an “English” mind.

    And so it is.

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