The Drunkard’s Fancy

STRAIGHT from the tavern door

I am come here;

Old road, how odd to me

Thou dost appear!

Right and left changing sides,

Rising and sunk;

Oh, I can plainly see,

Road, thou art drunk!

Oh, what a twisted face

Thou hast, oh, moon!

One eye shut, t’other eye

Wide as a spoon.

Who could have dreamed of this?

Shame on thee, shame!

Thou hast been fuddling,

Jolly old dame!

Look at the lamps again;

See how they reel!

Nodding and flickering

Round as they wheel.

Not one among them all

Steady can go;

Look at the drunken lamps,

All in a row.

All in an uproar seem

Great things and small;

I am the only one

Sober at all.

But there’s no safety here

For sober men;

So I’ll turn back to

The tavern again.