Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE KING OF NORMANDY, by PIERRE JEAN DE BERANGER


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE KING OF NORMANDY, by                    
First Line: In normandy there reigned a king
Last Line: Oh was n't he a noble king?'
Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers; Normandy, France; Royal Court Life; Royalty; Kings; Queens


I.

IN Normandy there reigned a kind
(I've quite forgot his name)
Who led a jolly sort of life,
And did n't care for fame.
A nightcap was his crown of state,
Which Jenny placed upon his pate.
Ha! ha! laugh and sing:
Oh was n't he a funny king?

II.

He ate his meals, like other folk,
Slept soundly and secure,
And on a donkey every year
He made his royal tour;
A little dog -- it was his whim --
Was body-guard enough for him.
Ha! ha! laugh and sing:
Oh was n't he a funny king?

III.

A single foible he confessed, --
A tendency to drink;
But kings who heed their subjects' need
Should mind their own, I think;
And thus it was his tax he got, --
For every cask an extra pot.
Ha! ha! laugh and sing:
Oh was n't he a funny king?

IV.

The lasses loved this worthy king;
And many a merry youth
Would hail his majesty as "Sire,"
And often spoke the truth.
He viewed his troops in goodly ranks,
But still their cartridges were blanks.
Ha! ha! laugh and sing:
Oh was n't he a funny king?

V.

He never stole his neighbor's land
To magnify his realm;
But steered his little ship of state
With honor at the helm;
And when at last the king was dead,
No wonder all the people said, --
"Ah! ah! weep and sing:
Oh was n't he a noble king?'





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