Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (IV-V) / Ezra Pound

    IV

These fought in any case,
and some believing, pro domo, in any case . . .

Some quick to arm,
some for adventure,
some from fear of weakness,
some from fear of censure,
some for love of slaughter, in imagination,
learning later . . .
some in fear, learning love of slaughter;
Died some, pro patria, non "dulce" non "et decor" . . .
walked eye-deep in hell
believing in old men's lies, then unbelieving
came home, home to a lie,
home to many deceits,
home to old lies and new infamy;
usury age-old and age-thick
and liars in public places.

Daring as never before, wastage as never before.
Young blood and high blood,
fair cheeks, and fine bodies;

fortitude as never before

frankness as never before,
disillusions as never told in the old days,
hysterias, trench confessions,
laughter out of dead bellies.


    V

There died a myriad,
And of the best, among them,
For an old bitch gone in the teeth,
For a botched civilization,

Charm, smiling at the good mouth,
Quick eyes gone under earth's lid,

For two gross of broken statues,
For a few thousand battered books.

~~
Ezra Pound (1885-1972)
from Hugh Selwyn Mauberley, 1920

[Poem is in the public domain in the United States]

Ezra Pound biography

Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (I-V) read by Ezra Pound. (Part IV begins at 3:10).

Courtesy awetblackbough.

Ballad of the Goodly Fere / Ezra Pound

Ballad of the Goodly Fere

Simon Zelotes speaketh it sometime after the Crucifixion.

Ha' we lost the goodliest fere o' all
For the priests and the gallows tree?
Aye lover he was of brawny men,
O' ships and the open sea.

When they came wi' a host to take Our Man
His smile was good to see,
"First let these go!" quo' our Goodly Fere,
"Or I'll see ye damned," says he.

Aye he sent us out through the crossed high spears
And the scorn of his laugh rang free,
"Why took ye not me when I walked about
Alone in the town?" says he.

Oh we drank his "Hale" in the good red wine
When we last made company,
No capon priest was the Goodly Fere
But a man o' men was he.

I ha' seen him drive a hundred men
Wi' a bundle o' cords swung free,
That they took the high and holy house
For their pawn and treasury.

They'll no' get him a' in a book I think
Though they write it cunningly;
No mouse of the scrolls was the Goodly Fere
But aye loved the open sea.

If they think they ha' snared our Goodly Fere
They are fools to the last degree.
"I'll go to the feast," quo' our Goodly Fere,
"Though I go to the gallows tree."

"Ye ha' seen me heal the lame and blind,
And wake the dead," says he,
"Ye shall see one thing to master all:
'Tis how a brave man dies on the tree."

A son of God was the Goodly Fere
That bade us his brothers be.
I ha' seen him cow a thousand men.
I have seen him upon the tree.

He cried no cry when they drave the nails
And the blood gushed hot and free,
The hounds of the crimson sky gave tongue
But never a cry cried he.

I ha' seen him cow a thousand men
On the hills o' Galilee,
They whined as he walked out calm between,
Wi' his eyes like the grey o' the sea,

Like the sea that brooks no voyaging
With the winds unleashed and free,
Like the sea that he cowed at Genseret
Wi' twey words spoke' suddently.

A master of men was the Goodly Fere,
A mate of the wind and sea,
If they think they ha' slain our Goodly Fere
They are fools eternally.

I ha' seen him eat o' the honey-comb
Sin' they nailed him to the tree.

~~
Ezra Pound (1885-1972)
From Exultations, 1909

[Poem is in the public domain in the United States]

Ezra Pound biography

"Ballad of the Goodly Fere" read by SweetSheet. Courtesy YouTube.

Ancient Music / Ezra Pound

Jazz Guy, Blizzard Day in NYC, 2010. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ancient Music

Winter is icumen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ramm!
        Sing: Goddamm.
Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.

Freezeth river, turneth liver,
        Damm you; Sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, 'tis why I am, Goddamm,
        So 'gainst the winter's balm.
Sing goddamm, damm, sing goddamm,
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMM.

~~
Ezra Pound (1885-1972)
From Blast! 2, July 1915

[Poem is in the public domain in the United States]

See also: Cuckoo Song (Sumer is icumen in)

Ezra Pound biography

"Ancient Music" read by Allen Davis Drake. Courtesy AudioBooks.

Spring in the Shops / Bert Leston Taylor

Spring in the Shops

In the manner of Ezra Pound 

Will people accept them? (i.e. these bargains)
O dainty colorings and range of prices!
Gowns of charmeuse in all the colors of the season;
Blouse suits of Russian cloth, tucked belt of softest satin,
And only $37.50.

Beautiful but inexpensive hats (values unprecedented).
Lovely French flowers combined
With handsome ribbon or numidi, roses, lilacs, wistaria, in beautiful colorings.

And petticoats, in crepe de chine and chiffon.
The petticoat oddly cut and gored,
That holds its fullness just below the knee,
And yet puffs out above,
Giving the new and fashionable outline.
Soft petticoats of sheerest voile, opened on side with clasps, in straight effect,
Silk jersey tucked and plaited ruffle, with underlay of same,
Special at $1.95.

~~
Bert Leston Taylor (1866-1921)
from Motley Measures, 1913

[Poem is in the public domain in Canada, the United States, and the European Union]

Bert Leston Taylor biography