The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan Part 140

It's a song of a merryman, moping mum, Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum, Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye.

Heighdy! heighdy!

Misery me--lack-a-day-dee!

He sipped no sup, and he craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye!

ELSIE I have a song to sing, O!

POINT Sing me your song, O!

ELSIE It is sung with the ring Of the songs maids sing Who love with a love life-long, O!

It's the song of a merrymaid, peerly proud, Who loved a lord, and who laughed aloud At the moan of the merryman, moping mum, Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum, Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye!

Heighdy! heighdy!

Misery me--lack-a-day-dee!

He sipped no sup, and he craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye!

POINT I have a song to sing, O!

ELSIE Sing me your song, O!

POINT It is sung to the knell Of a churchyard bell, And a doleful dirge, ding dong, O!

It's a song of a popinjay, bravely born, Who turned up his n.o.ble nose with scorn At the humble merrymaid, peerly proud, Who loved a lord, and who laughed aloud At the moan of the merryman, moping mum, Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum, Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye!

Heighdy! heighdy!

Misery me--lack-a-day-dee!

He sipped no sup, and he craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye!

ELSIE I have a song to sing, O!

POINT Sing me your song, O!

ELSIE It is sung with a sigh And a tear in the eye, For it tells of a righted wrong, O!

It's a song of the merrymaid, once so gay, Who turned on her heel and tripped away From the peac.o.c.k popinjay, bravely born, Who turned up his n.o.ble nose with scorn At the humble heart that he did not prize: So she begged on her knees, with downcast eyes, For the love of the merryman, moping mum, Whose soul was sad, and whose glance was glum, Who sipped no sup, and who craved no crumb, As he sighed for the love of a ladye!

BOTH Heighdy! heighdy!

Misery me--lack-a-day-dee!

His pains were o'er, and he sighed no more, For he lived in the love of a ladye!

Heighdy! heighdy!

Misery me--lack-a-day-dee!

His pains were o'er, and he sighed no more, For he lived in the love of a ladye!

1ST CITIZEN Well sung and well danced!

2ND CITIZEN A kiss for that, pretty maid!

ALL Aye, a kiss all round. [CROWD gathers around her]

ELSIE [drawing dagger] Best beware! I am armed!

POINT Back, sirs-- back! This is going too far.

2ND CITIZEN Thou dost not see the humour of it, eh? Yet there is humour in all things-- even in this. [Trying to kiss her]

ELSIE Help! Help!

[Enter LIEUTENANT with GUARD. CROWD falls back

LIEUT. What is the pother?

ELSIE Sir, we sang to these folk, and they would have repaid us with gross courtesy, but for your honour's coming.

LIEUT. [to CROWD] Away with ye! Clear the rabble.

[GUARDS push CROWD off, and go off with them]

Now, my girl, who are you, and what do you here?

ELSIE May it please you, sir, we are two strolling players, Jack Point and I, Elsie Maynard, at your wors.h.i.+p's service. We go from fair to fair, singing, and dancing, and playing brief interludes; and so we make a poor living.

LIEUT. You two, eh? Are ye man and wife?

POINT No, sir; for though I'm a fool, there is a limit to my folly. Her mother, old Bridget Maynard, travels with us (for Elsie is a good girl), but the old woman is a- bed with fever, and we have come here to pick up some silver to buy an electuary for her.

LIEUT. Hark ye, my girl! Your mother is ill?

ELSIE Sorely ill, sir.

LIEUT. And needs good food, and many things that thou canst not buy?

ELSIE Alas! sir, it is too true.

LIEUT. Wouldst thou earn an hundred crowns?

ELSIE An hundred crowns! They might save her life!

LIEUT. Then listen! A worthy but unhappy gentleman is to be beheaded in an hour on this very spot. For sufficient reasons, he desires to marry before he dies, and he hath asked me to find him a wife. Wilt thou be that wife?

ELSIE The wife of a man I have never seen!

POINT Why, sir, look you, I am concerned in this; for though I am not yet wedded to Elsie Maynard, time works wonders, and there's no knowing what may be in store for us. Have we your wors.h.i.+p's word for it that this gentleman will die to-day?

LIEUT. Nothing is more certain, I grieve to say.

POINT And that the maiden will be allowed to depart the very instant the ceremony is at an end?

LIEUT. The very instant. I pledge my honour that it shall be so.

POINT An hundred crowns?

LIEUT. An hundred crowns!