Death & Dying
Fille-la-Haine
From Verses (1916 edition)
Death went into the steeple to ring,
And he pulled the rope and he tolled a knell.
Fille-la-Haine, how well you sing!
Why are they ringing the Passing Bell?
Death went into the steeple to ring;
Fille-la-Haine, how well you sing!
Death went down the stream in a boat,
Down the river of Seine went he;
Fille-la-Haine had a pain in her throat,
Fille-la-Haine was nothing to me.
Death went down the stream in a boat;
Fille-la-Haine had a pain in her throat.
Death went up the hill in a cart
(I have forgotten her lips and her laughter).
Fille-la-Haine was my sweetheart
(And all the village was following after).
Death went up the hill in a cart.
Fille-la-Haine was my sweetheart.
Codex Note
A ballad with a refrain: Death goes into the steeple to ring the bell, and the singer realises that the bell is tolling for his sweetheart.
Cite this poem
MLA
Belloc, Hilaire. “Fille-la-Haine.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/belloc/18/.
Chicago
Belloc, Hilaire. “Fille-la-Haine.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/belloc/18/.
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