Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, OLD SIMON THE KING, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OLD SIMON THE KING, by                    
First Line: If a man should be drunk to-night
Last Line: "indeed all flesh is frail, / says old simon the king"
Subject(s): Drinks & Drinking


If a man should be drunk to-night,
And laid in his grave to-morrow,
Will you or any man say
That he died of care and sorrow?
Then hang up all sorrow and care,
'Tis able to kill a cat,
And he that will drink all night
Is never afraid of that;
For drinking will make a man quaff,
And quaffing will make a man sing,
And singing will make a man laugh,
And laughing long life doth bring,
Says old Simon the King.

Considering in my mind,
I thus began to think:
If a man be full to the throat,
And cannot take off his drink,
If his drink will not go down,
He may hang up himself for shame,
So the tapster at the Crown.
Whereupon this reason I frame:
Drink will make a man drunk,
Drunk will make a man dry,
Dry will make a man sick,
And sick will make a man die,
Says old Simon the King.

If a Puritan skinker do cry,
Dear brother, it is a sin
To drink unless you be dry,
Then straight this tale I begin:
A Puritan left his can
And took him to his jug,
And there he played the man
As long as he could tug;
And when that he was spied,
Did ever he swear or rail?
No, truly, dear brother, he cried,
Indeed all flesh is frail,
Says old Simon the King.





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