Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


PADDY'S ODE TO THE PRINCE by JOHN GODFREY SAXE

First Line: O MIGHTY PRINCE!
Last Line: REMIMBER POOR OULD ERIN.
Subject(s): IRELAND; IRISH;

O MIGHTY Prince!
It's no offense,
Your worship, that I mane ye,
While I confiss
'T was ra-al bliss,
A moment to have sane ye!

That you should see
The likes o' me,
The while I stud adjacent,
I don't suppose,
Although me clo'es
Was mighty clane and dacent.

Av coorse, ye know
'T was long ago,
I looked at Jukes and such men,
And longer since,
An English Prince
Begotten by a Dutchman!

But by me troth,
And Bible-oath!
Wid all me Irish shyness,
I've passed the word
Wid many a lord,
Much taller than your Highness!

Ah! well, -- bedad,
No doubt ye had,
In token of allagiance,
As good a cup
As ye could sup
Among thim black Canajans;

But wha' d'ye think
Of Christian dhrink,
Now tell me that, me tulip!
When through a sthraw
Your Highness saw,
The flavor of a julep?

Thim haythen chaps,
The nayger Japs,
Wid all their curst expinses,
Just tuk their fill,
And left a bill
At which the paple winces;

But thin, no doubt,
Ye'll ride about
Wid BOOLE and all the Aldermen
They've little sinse,
But, for expinse,
There's not a set of boulder men!

FERNANDY WUD
Has dacent blood,
And illigant morality;
And ye may swear
Our mighty Mayor
Will show his horsepitality!

The soldiers all
Are at his call,
Wid Captains to parade 'em;
And at the laste,
Ye'll get a taste
Of dimmecratic fraydem.

But plase to note,
Ye're not to vote, --
A privilege, by Jabers!
Ye could n't hope,
Were ye the Pope,
Until ye've got the papers!

Well, mighty Prince,
Accept these hints;
Most frayly I indite 'em;
'T is luck, indade,
If ye can rade
As aisy as I write 'em!

And when the throne
Is all ye'r own
At which ye're daily steerin',
Remimber what
Some kings forgot, --
Remimber poor ould Erin.



Home: PoetryExplorer.net