Living

A Sequence in Praise of Wine

by The Goliards (Wandering Scholars) c. 1100–1250

Translated by John Addington Symonds (1884) · From Wine, Women, and Song (1884)

Living

Wine the good and bland, thou blessing
Of the good, the bad's distressing,
Sweet of taste by all confessing,
Hail, thou world's felicity!
Hail thy hue, life's gloom dispelling;
Hail thy taste, all tastes excelling;
By thy power, in this thy dwelling
Deign to make us drunk with thee!

Oh, how blest for bounteous uses
Is the birth of pure vine-juices!
Safe's the table which produces
Wine in goodly quality.
Oh, in colour how auspicious!
Oh, in odour how delicious!
In the mouth how sweet, propitious
To the tongue enthralled by thee!

Blest the man who first thee planted,
Called thee by thy name enchanted!
He whose cups have ne'er been scanted
Dreads no danger that may be.
Blest the belly where thou bidest!
Blest the tongue where thou residest!
Blest the mouth through which thou glidest,
And the lips thrice blest by thee!

Therefore let wine's praise be sounded,
Healths to topers all propounded;
We shall never be confounded,
Toping for eternity!
Pray we: here be thou still flowing,
Plenty on our board bestowing,
While with jocund voice we're showing
How we serve thee--Jubilee!

MLA

The Goliards (Wandering Scholars). “A Sequence in Praise of Wine.” Translated by John Addington Symonds. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/goliards/44/.

Chicago

The Goliards (Wandering Scholars). “A Sequence in Praise of Wine.” Translated by John Addington Symonds. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/goliards/44/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by The Goliards (Wandering Scholars)