Living
A Song of the Open Road
Translated by John Addington Symonds (1884) · From Wine, Women, and Song (1884)
We in our wandering,
Blithesome and squandering,
Tara, tantara, teino!
Eat to satiety,
Drink with propriety;
Tara, tantara, teino!
Laugh till our sides we split,
Rags on our hides we fit;
Tara, tantara, teino!
Jesting eternally,
Quaffing infernally:
Tara, tantara, teino!
Craft's in the bone of us,
Fear 'tis unknown of us:
Tara, tantara, teino!
When we're in neediness,
Thieve we with greediness:
Tara, tantara, teino!
Brother catholical,
Man apostolical,
Tara, tantara, teino!
Say what you will have done,
What you ask 'twill be done!
Tara, tantara, teino!
Folk, fear the toss of the
Horns of philosophy!
Tara, tantara, teino!
Here comes a quadruple
Spoiler and prodigal!
Tara, tantara, teino!
License and vanity
Pamper insanity:
Tara, tantara, teino!
As the Pope bade us do,
Brother to brother's true:
Tara, tantara, teino!
Brother, best friend, adieu!
Now, I must part from you!
Tara, tantara, teino!
When will our meeting be?
Glad shall our greeting be!
Tara, tantara, teino!
Vows valedictory
Now have the victory;
Tara, tantara, teino!
Clasped on each other's breast,
Brother to brother pressed,
Tara, tantara, teino!
Cite this poem
MLA
The Goliards (Wandering Scholars). “A Song of the Open Road.” Translated by John Addington Symonds. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/goliards/3/.
Chicago
The Goliards (Wandering Scholars). “A Song of the Open Road.” Translated by John Addington Symonds. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/goliards/3/.
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