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saltbush bill-第6部分

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She works her way around

 And gathers up the sheep;



And; working wide and shy;

 She holds them rounded up。

The cash ain't coined to buy

 That little collie pup。



And so I draw a screw

 For self and dog and keep

To boundary…ride for you;

 O Riverina Sheep!



And when the autumn rain

 Has made the herbage grow;

You travel off again;

 And glad  no doubt  to go。



But some are left behind

 Around the mountain's spread;

For those we cannot find

 We put them down as dead。



But when we say adieu

 And close the boarding job;

I always find a few

 Fresh ear…marks in my mob。



So what with those I sell;

 And what with those I keep;

You pay me pretty well;

 O Riverina Sheep!



It's up to me to shout

 Before we say good…bye 

〃Here's to a howlin' drought

 All west of Gundagai!〃









Pioneers







They came of bold and roving stock that would not fixed abide;

They were the sons of field and flock since e'er they learnt to ride;

We may not hope to see such men in these degenerate years

As those explorers of the bush  the brave old pioneers。



'Twas they who rode the trackless bush in heat and storm and drought;

'Twas they who heard the master…word that called them farther out;

'Twas they who followed up the trail the mountain cattle made;

And pressed across the mighty range where now their bones are laid。



But now the times are dull and slow; the brave old days are dead

When hardy bushmen started out; and forced their way ahead

By tangled scrub and forests grim towards the unknown west;

And spied the far…off promised land from off the range's crest。



Oh! ye that sleep in lonely graves by far…off ridge and plain;

We drink to you in silence now as Christmas comes again;

To you who fought the wilderness through rough unsettled years 

The founders of our nation's life; the brave old pioneers。









Santa Claus in the Bush







It chanced out back at the Christmas time;

 When the wheat was ripe and tall;

A stranger rode to the farmer's gate 

 A sturdy man and a small。



〃Rin doon; rin doon; my little son Jack;

 And bid the stranger stay;

And we'll hae a crack for Auld Lang Syne;

 For the morn is Christmas Day。〃



〃Nay now; nay now;〃 said the dour good…wife;

 〃But ye should let him be;

He's maybe only a drover chap

 Frae the land o' the Darling Pea。



〃Wi' a drover's tales; and a drover's thirst

 To swiggle the hail nicht through;

Or he's maybe a life assurance carle

 To talk ye black and blue。〃



〃Guid wife; he's never a drover chap;

 For their swags are neat and thin;

And he's never a life assurance carle;

 Wi' the brick…dust burnt in his skin。



〃Guid wife; guid wife; be nae sae dour;

 For the wheat stands ripe and tall;

And we shore a seven…pound fleece this year;

 Ewes and weaners and all。



〃There is grass tae spare; and the stock are fat

 Where they whiles are gaunt and thin;

And we owe a tithe to the travelling poor;

 So we maun ask him in。



〃Ye can set him a chair tae the table side;

 And gi' him a bite tae eat;

An omelette made of a new…laid egg;

 Or a tasty bit of meat。〃



〃But the native cats hae taen the fowls;

 They havena left a leg;

And he'll get nae omelette here at a'

 Till the emu lays an egg!〃



〃Rin doon; rin doon; my little son Jack;

 To whaur the emus bide;

Ye shall find the auld hen on the nest;

 While the auld cock sits beside。



〃But speak them fair; and speak them saft;

 Lest they kick ye a fearsome jolt。

Ye can gi' them a feed of thae half…inch nails

 Or a rusty carriage bolt。〃



So little son Jack ran blithely down;

 With the rusty nails in hand;

Till he came where the emus fluffed and scratched

 By their nest in the open sand。



And there he has gathered the new…laid egg;

 'Twould feed three men or four;

And the emus came for the half…inch nails

 Right up to the settler's door。



〃A waste o' food;〃 said the dour good…wife;

 As she took the egg; with a frown;

〃But he gets nae meat; unless ye rin

 A paddy…melon down。〃



〃Gae oot; gae oot; my little son Jack;

 Wi' your twa…three doggies sma';

Gin ye come nae back wi' a paddy…melon;

 Then come nae back at a'。〃



So little son Jack he raced and he ran;

 And he was bare o' the feet;

And soon he captured a paddy…melon;

 Was gorged with the stolen wheat。



〃Sit doon; sit doon; my bonny wee man;

 To the best that the hoose can do 

An omelette made of the emu egg

 And a paddy…melon stew。〃



〃'Tis well; 'tis well;〃 said the bonny wee man;

 〃I have eaten the wide world's meat;

And the food that is given with right good will

 Is the sweetest food to eat。



〃But the night draws on to the Christmas Day

 And I must rise and go;

For I have a mighty way to ride

 To the land of the Esquimaux。



〃And it's there I must load my sledges up;

 With reindeers four…in…hand;

That go to the North; South; East; and West;

 To every Christian land。〃



〃Tae the Esquimaux;〃 said the dour good…wife;

 〃Ye suit my husband well!

For when he gets up on his journey horse

 He's a bit of a liar himsel'。〃



Then out with a laugh went the bonny wee man

 To his old horse grazing nigh;

And away like a meteor flash they went

 Far off to the Northern sky。



     。    。    。    。    。



When the children woke on the Christmas morn

 They chattered with might and main 

For a sword and gun had little son Jack;

 And a braw new doll had Jane;

And a packet o' nails had the twa emus;

 But the dour good…wife got nane。









〃In Re a Gentleman; One〃



    When an attorney is called before the Full Court to answer

    for any alleged misconduct it is not usual to publish his name

    until he is found guilty; until then the matter appears in the papers

    as 〃In re a Gentleman; One of the Attorneys of the Supreme Court〃;

    or; more shortly; 〃In re a Gentleman; One〃。







We see it each day in the paper;

 And know that there's mischief in store;

That some unprofessional caper

 Has landed a shark on the shore。

We know there'll be plenty of trouble

 Before they get through with the fun;

Because he's been coming the double

 On clients; has 〃Gentleman; One〃。



Alas! for the gallant attorney;

 Intent upon cutting a dash;

Sets out on life's perilous journey

 With rather more cunning than cash。

And fortune at first is inviting 

 He struts his brief hour in the sun 

But; lo! on the wall is the writing

 Of Nemesis; 〃Gentleman; One〃。



For soon he runs short of the dollars;

 He fears he must go to the wall;

So Peter's trust…money he collars

 To pay off his creditor; Paul;

Then robs right and left  for he goes it

 In earnest when once he's begun。

Descensus Averni  he knows it;

 It's easy for 〃Gentleman; One〃。



The crash comes as sure as the seasons;

 He loses his coin in a mine;

Or booming in land; or for reasons

 Connected with women and wine。

Or maybe the cards or the horses

 A share of the damage have done

No matter; the end of the course is

 The same:  〃Re a Gentleman; One〃。



He struggles awhile to keep going;

 To stave off detection and shame;

But creditors; clamorous growing;

 Ere long put an end to the game。

At length the poor soldier of Satan

 His course to a finish has run 

And just think of Windeyer waiting

 To deal with 〃A Gentleman; One〃!



And some face it boldly; and brazen

 The shame and the utter disgrace;

While others; more sensitive; hasten

 Their names and their deeds to efface。

They snap the frail thread which the Furies

 And Fates have so cruelly spun。

May the great Final Judge and His juries

 Have mercy on 〃Gentleman; One〃!









The Melting of the Snow







There's a sunny Southern land;

 And it's there that I would be

Where the big hills stand;

 In the South Countrie!

When the wattles bloom again;

 Then it's time for us to go

To the old Monaro country

 At the melting of the snow。



To the East or to the West;

 Or wherever you may be;

You will find no place

 Like the South Countrie。

For the skies are blue above;

 And the grass is green below;

In the old Monaro country

 At the melting of the snow。



Now the team is in the plough;

 And the thrushes start to sing;

And the pigeons on the bough

 Sit a…welcoming the Spring。

So come my comrades all;

 Let us saddle up and go

To the old Monaro country

 At the melting of the snow。









A Dream of the Melbourne Cup



    (1886)







Bring me a quart of colonial beer

And some doughy damper to make good cheer;

 I must make a heavy dinner;

Heavily dine and heavily sup;

Of indigestible things fill up;

Next month they run the Melbourne Cup;

 And I have to dream the winner。



Stoke it in; boys! the half…cooked ham;

The rich ragout and the charming cham。;

 I've got to mix my liquor;

Give me a gander's gaunt hind leg;

Hard and tough as a wooden peg;

And I'll keep it down with a hard…boiled egg;

 'Twill make me dream the quicker。



Now I am full of fearful feed;

Now I may dream a race indeed;

 In my restless; troubled slumber;

While the night…mares race through my heated brain

And their devil…riders spur amain;

The tip for the Cup will reward my pain;

 And I'll spot the winning number。



     。    。    。    。    。



Thousands and thousands and thousands more;

Like sands on the white Pacific shore;

 The crowding people cluster;

For evermore it's the story old;

While races are bought and backers are sold;

Drawn by the greed of the gain of gold;

 In their thousands still they muster。



And the bookies' cries grow fierce and hot;

〃I'll lay the Cup!  The double; if not!〃

 〃Five monkeys; Little John; sir!〃

〃Here's fives bar one; I lay; I lay!〃

And so they shou
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