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Translated by John Oxenford
THERE was a King of Yvetot, | |
| Who, little famed in story, | |
| Went soon to bed, to rise was slow, | |
| And slumbered without glory. | |
| ’T was Jenny crowned this jolly chap | 5 |
| With nothing but a cotton cap, | |
| Mayhap. | |
| Ho! ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! ha! | |
| What a famous king was he, O la! | |
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| Within his thatchéd palace he | 10 |
| Consumed his four meals daily; | |
| He rode about his realm to see, | |
| Upon a donkey, gayly; | |
| Besides his dog, no guard he had, | |
| He hoped for good when things were bad,— | 15 |
| Ne’er sad. | |
| Ho! ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! ha! | |
| What a famous king was he, O la! | |
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| No costly tastes his soul possessed | |
| Except a taste for drinking, | 20 |
| And kings who make their subjects blest | |
| Should live well, to my thinking. | |
| At table he his taxes got, | |
| From every cask he took a pot | |
| I wot. | 25 |
| Ho! ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! ha! | |
| What a famous king was this, O la! | |
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| He did not widen his estates | |
| Beyond their proper measure; | |
| A model of all potentates, | 30 |
| His only code was pleasure. | |
| And ’t was not till the day he died | |
| His faithful subjects ever sighed, | |
| Or cried. | |
| Ho! ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! ha! | 35 |
| What a famous king was he, O la! | |
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| This wise and worthy monarch’s face | |
| Is still in preservation, | |
| And as a sign it serves to grace | |
| An inn of reputation. | 40 |
| On holidays a joyous rout | |
| Before it pushed their mugs about | |
| And shout. | |
| Ho! ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! ha! | |
| What a famous king was he, O la! | 45 |
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