OH ye who hold the written clue | |
To all save all unwritten things, | |
And, half a league behind, pursue | |
The accomplished Fact with flouts and flings, | |
Look! To your knee your baby brings | 5 |
The oldest tale since Earth began | |
The answer to your worryings: | |
Once on a time there was a Man. | |
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He, single-handed, met and slew | |
Magicians, Armies, Ogres, Kings. | 10 |
He lonely mid his doubting crew | |
In all the loneliness of wings | |
He fed the flame, he filled the springs, | |
He locked the ranks, he launched the van | |
Straight at the grinning Teeth of Things. | 15 |
Once on a time there was a Man. | |
|
The peace of shocked Foundations flew | |
Before his ribald questionings. | |
He broke the Oracles in two, | |
And bared the paltry wires and strings. | 20 |
He headed desert wanderings; | |
He led his soul, his cause, his clan | |
A little from the ruck of Things. | |
Once on a time there was a Man. | |
|
Thrones, Powers, Dominions block the view | 25 |
With episodes and underlings | |
The meek historian deems them true | |
Nor heeds the song that Clio sings | |
The simple central truth that stings | |
The mob to boo, the priest to ban; | 30 |
Things never yet created things | |
Once on a time there was a Man. | |
|
A bolt is fallen from the blue. | |
A wakened realm full circle swings | |
Where Dothans dreamer dreams anew | 35 |
Of vast and farborne harvestings; | |
And unto him an Empire clings | |
That grips the purpose of his plan. | |
My Lords, how think you of these things? | |
Oncein our timeis there a Man? | 40 |
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