Tom A'Bedlam's song

Tom O'Bedlam's Song

From the hagg and hungrie goblin That into raggs would rend ye, And the spirit that stands by the naked man In the Book of Moones - defend ye! That of your five sound senses You never be forsaken, Nor wander from your selves with Tom Abroad to beg your bacon.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.

Of thirty bare years have I Twice twenty been enraged, And of forty been three times fifteen In durance soundly caged. On the lordly lofts of Bedlam, With stubble soft and dainty, Brave bracelets strong, sweet whips ding-dong, With wholesome hunger plenty.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.

With a thought I took for Maudlin And a cruse of cockle pottage, With a thing thus tall, skie blesse you all, I befell into this dotage. I slept not since the Conquest, Till then I never waked, Till the roguish boy of love where I lay Me found and stript me naked.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.

When I short have shorne my sowre face And swigged my horny barrel, In an oaken inn I pound my skin As a suit of gilt apparel. The moon's my constant Mistrisse, And the lowly owl my morrowe, The flaming Drake and the Nightcrow make Me music to my sorrow.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.

The palsie plagues my pulses When I prigg your pigs or pullen, Your culvers take, or matchless make Your Chanticleers, or sullen. When I want provant, with Humfrie I sup, and when benighted, I repose in Powles with waking souls Yet never am affrighted.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.

I know more than Apollo, For oft, when he lies sleeping I see the stars at bloody wars In the wounded welkin weeping, The moone embrace her shepherd And the queen of Love her warrior, While the first doth horne the star of morne, And the next the heavenly Farrier.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.

The Gipsie Snap and Pedro Are none of Tom's companions. The punk I skorne and the cut purse sworne And the roaring boyes bravadoe. The meek, the white, the gentle, Me handle touch and spare not But those that crosse Tom Rynosseros Do what the panther dare not.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.

With a host of furious fancies Whereof I am commander, With a burning spear and a horse of air, To the wilderness I wander. By a knight of ghostes and shadowes I summon'd am to tourney Ten leagues beyond the wild world's end. Methinks it is no journey.

While I doe sing "any foode, any feeding, Feedinge, drinke or clothing," Come dame or maid, be not afraid, Poor Tom will injure nothing.