Here There Be Dragons

Primula bulleyana or Candelabra Primula
Primula bulleyana or Candelabra Primula

 

 

HERE THERE BE DRAGONS! – Author Unknown

The map tells sailors where to sail 


The decorations sun and whale, 


The warning spelled in letters pale 


HERE THERE BE DRAGONS!

But north-northwest there is a gap 


Should cause the sailors no mishap, 


But north-northwest there is a gap. 


AND HERE THERE BE DRAGONS!

 

 

 

The continents are not drawn true, 


The ocean waves outlined in blue, 


Sea serpentine provides the clue


WHERE THERE BE DRAGONS.

 

 

 

Yet year by year the ships have passed 


Through oceans wide and oceans vast,


And sailors stared atop the mast 


FOR WHERE THERE BE DRAGONS.

 

 

No scales of blue and jaws of green 


Are by these modern sailors seen 


Do you think that this might mean


HERE THERE BE NO MORE DRAGONS?

 

 

 

I’d like to hope,

I’d like to pray


The dragons have just gone away


And will return some other day

THEN HERE THERE WILL BE DRAGONS, AGAIN.

 

 

 

 

 

Glowing Galanthus

Galanthus nivalis
Galanthus nivalis

          The Snowdrop – Lord Alfred Tennyson

          Many, many welcomes,

          
February fair-maid!

          Ever as of old time,

          Solitary firstling,

          
Coming in the cold time,

          Prophet of the gay time,


          Prophet of the May time,

          Prophet of the roses,
Many,

          Many welcomes,

          February fair-maid!

 

A Rose for Lent

Lenten Rose
Lenten Rose

 

The Canturbury Tales

Excerpt from Prologue of the The Clerks Tale

For goddes sake, as beth of bettre cheere!

It is no tyme for to studien heere.

Telle us som myrie tale, by youre fey!

For what man that is entred in a pley,

He nedes moot unto the pley assente.

But precheth nat, as freres doon in Lente,

To make us for oure olde synnes wepe,

Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe.

 

 

Translation

For God’s sake, smile and be of better cheer,

It is no time to think and study here.

Tell us some merry story, if you may;

For whatsoever man will join in play,

He needs must to the play give his consent.

But do not preach, as friars do in Lent,

To make us, for our old sins, wail and weep,

And see your tale shall put us not to sleep.