A Credo (after the German)
William Makepeace Thackeray 1811 – 1863
For the sole edification
Of this decent congregation,
Goodly people, by your grant
I will sing a holy chant --
I will sing a holy chant.
If the ditty sound but oddly,
'Twas a father, wise and godly,
Sang it so long ago --
Then sing as Martin Luther sang,
As Doctor Martin Luther sang:
"Who loves not wine, woman and song,
He is a fool his whole life long!"
He, by custom patriarchal,
Loved to see the beaker sparkle;
And he thought the wine improved,
Tasted by the lips he loved --
But the kindly lips he loved.
Friends, I wish this custom pious
Duly were observed by us,
To combine love, song, wine,
And sing as Martin Luther sang,
As Doctor Martin Luther sang:
"Who loves not wine, woman, and song,
He is a fool his whole life long!"
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 14, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 36 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | aabBBccxdDEE ffxgghhxdDEE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 743 |
Words | 145 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 12, 12 |
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"A Credo (after the German)" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/40992/a-credo-(after-the-german)>.
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