C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.

Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (1863–1944)

The Marine: A Folk-Song

THE BOLD Marine comes back from war,

All so kind;

The bold Marine comes back from war,

So kind:

With a raggety coat and a worn-out shoe.

“Now, poor Marine, say, whence come you,

All so kind?”—

“I travel back from the war, madame,

All so kind;

I travel back from the war, madame,

So kind:

For a glass of wine and a bowl of whey

’Tis I who will sing you a ballad gay,

All so kind.”

The bold Marine he sips his whey,

All so kind;

He sips and he sings his ballad gay,

So kind:

But the dame she turns her against the wall,

For to wipe her tears that fall and fall,

All so kind.

“What aileth you at my song, madame,

All so kind?

I hope that I sing no wrong, madame,

So kind:

Or grieves it you that a beggar should dine

On a bowl of whey and this good white wine,

All so kind?”—

“It ails me not at your ballad gay,

All so kind;

It ails not for the wine and whey,

So kind:

But it ails me sore at the voice and eyes

Of a good man long in Paradise,

All so kind.”

“You have fair children five, madame,

All so kind;

You have fair children five, madame,

So kind:

Your good man left you children three—

Whence came these twain for company,

All so kind?”—

“A letter came from the war, Marine,

All so kind;

A letter came from the war, Marine,

So kind:

For a while I wept for the good man dead,

But another good man in a while I wed,

All so kind.”

The bold Marine he drained his glass,

All so kind;

The bold Marine he drained his glass,

So kind:

He said not a word, though the tears they flowed,

But back to his regiment took the road,

All so kind.

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