Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ON THE YANGSTE KIANG, by BERTON BRALEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ON THE YANGSTE KIANG, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Once on a time, so the ballad is sung
Last Line: On the beautiful banks of the yangste kiang.
Subject(s): Friendship; Travel; Journeys; Trips


Once on a time, so the ballad is sung,
Two Chinamen, known as Wun Lung and Lung Chung,
Lived happy and free where the temple bells rang
On the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.

(Are they "beautiful banks"? I've not traveled so far,
But to fit with my lay we'll assume that they are,
For I've built my refrain with its far-eastern tang
On "The beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.")

Wun Lung and Lung Chung were both handsome and young,
"In fact," said the people they mingled among,
"These two are undoubtedly stars of our gang
On the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang!"

But ah, when these model young men came to view
The shy tender grace of the maiden, Ah Chu,
Their friendship blew up with a terrible bang
On the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.

There was blood in the eye of the splendid Wun Lung,
There was fire in the heart of the dapper Lung Chung,
With swords and with knives at each other they sprang,
On the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.

They fought by the riverside, day after day,
For seven long weeks they continued the fray,
And the clash of their swords made a clatter and clang
On the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.

And little Ah Chu watched the battle with glee
While nibbling chop suey and sipping her tea,
Till both of her swains in the river fell "spang"
From the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.

Did little Ah Chu give a cry or a wail?
Did little Ah Chu grow perceptibly pale?
Ah no, she ran off with a fellow named Chang
From the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.

Wun Lung and Lung Chung from the river climbed out,
And both of them said, "It is true beyond doubt,
It stings to be stung in the way we were stang,
On the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang."

And so they rubbed noses and swore to be friends.
And that's where this chronicle properly ends
With every one smiling and never a pang
On the beautiful banks of the Yangste Kiang.





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