A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad. 1896.
XIII. When I was one-and-twenty
WHEN I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
‘Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies 5
But keep your fancy free.’
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again, 10
‘The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue.’
And I am two-and-twenty, 15
And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.
- JoinedApril 23, 2013
- facebook: Justserendipity's Facebook profile
Sign up to join the largest storytelling community
or