Three Quatrains
I
As long as Fame's imperious music rings
Will poets mock it with crowned words august;
And haggard men will clamber to be kings
As long as Glory weighs itself in dust.
II
Drink to the splendor of the unfulfilled,
Nor shudder for the revels that are done:
The wines that flushed Lucullus are all spilled,
The strings that Nero fingered are all gone.
III
We cannot crown ourselves with everything,
Nor can we coax the Fates for us to quarrel:
No matter what we are, or what we sing,
Time finds a withered leaf in every laurel.
poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Remarks About Kings
"God said I am tired of kings." -- EMERSON
God said, "I am tired of kings,"--
But that was a long while ago!
And meantime man said, "No,--
I like their looks in their robes and rings."
So he crowned a few more,
And they went on playing the game as before,
Fighting and spoiling things.
Man said, "I am tired of kings!
Sons of the robber-chiefs of yore,
They make me pay for their lust and their war;
I am the puppet, they pull the strings;
The blood of my heart is the wine they drink.
I will govern myself for awhile I think,
And see what that brings!"
Then God, who made the first remark,
Smiled in the dark.
poem by Henry Van Dyke
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Six Words Long
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
Couldn't think of any lyrics
No i never wrote the lyrics
So i'll just sing any old lyrics
That come to mind, child
You really need words
Whole lotta rhyming words
You gotta rhyme so many words, mm-mm
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, to do it right, child
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
I know that you're probably sore
'cause i didn't write any more
I just didn't get to complete it
So that's why i gotta repeat it
This song is just six words long (six words long)
This song is just six words long (six words long)
Oh i make a lotta money
They pay me a ton of money
They're payin' me plenty of money
To sing this song, child
I gotta fill time
Three minutes worth of time
Oh, how will i fill so much time, mm-mm
I'll throw in a solo, a solo, a solo
A solo, a solo here
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
This song is just six words long
This song's got nothin' to say
But i'm recording it anyway
I know if i put my mind to it
I know i could find a good rhyme here
Oh, you gotta have-a music
You need really catchy music
This song has got plenty of music
But just six words, child
And so i'll sing' em over
And over and over and over
And over and over and over, mm-mm
And over and over and over
And over and over and over again
Six words long, six words long
Six words long, six words long
Six words long, six words long
This song is just six words long
It's just six words long
song performed by by Weird Al Yankovic
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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How Long Will Be Too Long
Words: michael w. smith and wayne kirkpatrick
Music: michael w. smith
(tell me) how long will we grovel at the feet of wealth and power
(tell me) how long will we bow down to that golden calf
How long will be too long
(tell me) how long will we curtsy to the whims of new religion
How long will we water down the truth
til truth is no more
How long will be too long
Chorus:
The power of faith and love
Can change the stuff were made of
But still we wait
(tell me) how long will be too long
(tell me) how long will we drink from the chalice of indifference
Neither be hot or be cold
Can a sober soul know
How long will be too long
Chorus:
Is there not more to us
Than cursed dust to dust
I feel my hope fading
How long will be too long
How long will be too long
(tell me) how long will we travel from the ways that God intended
Wont it all tumble down if his holy wrath comes
How long will be too long
Chorus:
The power of faith and love
Can change the stuff were made of
When will it be too late
How long will be too long
How long will be too long
How long will be too long
song performed by by Michael W. Smith
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Its A Matter Of Time
(words & music by clive westlake)
Its a matter of time before I go back there
A matter of time before I go home
I have been way from her now for a long time
And Ive lived a life I thought that it should be
Its a long, long way from now to maybe sometime
And the waiting round is really killing me
Its a matter of time before I go back there
A matter of time oh lord, before I go home
Its a long way I know and the goin aint easy
Shell see me again its a matter of time
I think Ill take a train right early in the morning
Just to see how far I get along the way
But the trains dont run too often only sometimes
So I guess Id better wait another day
Its a matter of time before I go back there
A matter of time before I go home
Its a long way I know and the goin aint easy
Shell see me again, its just a matter of time
Shell see me I know its a matter of time
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fly Me To The Moon
Poets often use many words
To say a simple thing
It takes thoughts and time and rhyme
To make a poem sing
With music and words I've been playing
For you I have written a song
To be sure that you'll know what I'm saying
I'll translate as I go along
Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars
Let me see what Spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, darling kiss me
Fill my heart with song
And let me sing for evermore
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you
Fill my heart with song
And let me sing for evermore
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you
song performed by by Nat King Cole
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In Other Words
(bart howard)
Poets often use many words
To say a simple thing.
It takes thought and time amd rhyme
To make a poem sing.
With music and words i've been playing
For you, i have written a song.
To be sure that you'll know what i'm saying,
I'll translate as i go along...
Fly me to the moon,
And let me play among the stars.
Let me see what spring is like
On jupiter and mars.
In other words,
Hold my hand.
In other words,
Darling, kiss me.
Fill my heart with song,
And let me sing forever more.
You are all i long for,
All i worship and adore.
In other words,
Please be true.
In other words,
I love you.
~interlude~
Fill my heart with song,
And let sing forever more.
You are all i long for,
All i worship and adore.
In other words
Please be true.
In other words,
I love you.
song performed by by Nat King Cole
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Nero
Nero
He can be anywhere on earth
And still be there for you
Nero
He can do anything in life
While you're feeling lost and lonely
But I swear - he will care
Nero
Only when dreams have died
It's time to say goodbye
Oooh Nero
You can stand any pain
With a smile on your face - I swear
Nero
Just smile
So destiny won't keep you crying
Nero
Let your heartlight find a way
Let everybody know what you say
Nero
He can bear anything
Except your tears - I swear
Ooh Nero
He can fight anyone
But he's caught in your love - I swear
Nero ...
Nero
He can be anywhere
And still be there for you
Nero
I see you standing there
With a smile on your face - I swear
song performed by by Vanilla Ninja
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Lyric to Mirth
While the milder fates consent,
Let's enjoy our merriment :
Drink, and dance, and pipe, and play ;
Kiss our dollies night and day :
Crowned with clusters of the vine,
Let us sit, and quaff our wine.
Call on Bacchus, chant his praise ;
Shake the thyrse, and bite the bays :
Rouse Anacreon from the dead,
And return him drunk to bed :
Sing o'er Horace, for ere long
Death will come and mar the song :
Then shall Wilson and Gotiere
Never sing or play more here.
poem by Robert Herrick
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Mountains Of The Moon
Cold mountain water, the jade merchants daughter,
Mountains of the moon, electra bow and bend to me.
Hi ho the carrion crow fol de rol de riddle
Hi ho the carrion crow bow and bend to me.
Hey, tom banjo hey a laurel, more than laurel you say sow.
More than laurel you may sow.
Hey, the laurel, hey the city in the rain,
Hey, hey, hey the wild wheat waving in the wind.
Twenty degrees of solitude, twenty degrees in all,
All the dancing kings and wives assembled in the hall.
Lost is the long and loneliest town fairly sybil flying.
All along the, all along the mountains of the moon.
Hey, tom banjo its time to matter,
The earth will see you on through this time,
The earth will see you on through this time.
Down by the water, the marsh kings daughter, did you know?
Clothed in totters always will be. tom, where did you go?
Mountains of the moon, electra, mountains of the moon,
All along the, all along the mountains of the moon.
Hi ho the carrion crow fol de rol de riddle
Hi ho the carrion crow bow and bend to me.
Bend to me. na da da da da da da da da da da da.
song performed by by Grateful Dead
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Im Gonna Sing
Recorded by hank williams, sr.
Words and music by hank williams, sr.
Chorus
When [g] I get to glory, Im gonna sing, sing, sing
Im gonna let the [a7] hallelujahs [d7] ring
[g] Im gonna praise my blessed saviours name
When I get to glory, Im [d7] gonna sing, sing, [g] sing.
[g] in this world of sorrow, Ive seen trouble and woe
When I get to glory [a7] Ill see no [d7] more
For [g] I know my prayers have not been in vain
When I get to glory, Im gonna [d7] sing, sing, [g] sing.
Sometimes I get so weary inside
Then I recall how my jesus died
Up there I know, therell be no pain
When I get to glory, Im gonna sing, sing, sing.
Chorus
Up there no tears will blind my eyes
And Ill walk along by my jesus side
Ill meet my loved ones all once again
When I get to glory, Im gonna sing, sing, sing.
Chorus
song performed by by Hank Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Book Of Love
The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing
But I
I love it when you read to me
And you
You can read me anything
The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb
But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
You can sing me anything
The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know
But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
You ought to give me wedding rings
song performed by by Peter Gabriel
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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To Lord Thurlow
'I lay my branch of laurel down.
Then thus to form Apollo's crown.
Let every other bring his own.'~Lord Thurlow's lines to Mr. Rogers
'I lay my branch of laurel down.'
Thou 'lay thy branch of laurel down!'
Why, what thou'st stole is not enow;
And, were it lawfully thine own,
Does Rogers want it most, or thou?
Keep to thyself thy wither'd bough,
Or send it back to Doctor Donne:
Were justice done to both, I trow,
He'd have but little, and thou--none.
'Then thus to form Apollo's crown.'
A crown! why, twist it how you will,
Thy chaplet must be foolscap still.
When next you visit Delphi's town,
Inquire amongst your fellow-lodgers,
They'll tell you Phoebus gave his crown,
Some years before your birth, to Rogers.
'Let every other bring his own.'
When coals to Newcastle are carried,
And owls sent to Athens, as wonders,
From his spouse when the R egent's unmarried,
Or Liverpool weeps o'er his blunders;
When Tories and Whigs cease to quarrel,
When Castlereagh's wife has an heir,
Then Rogers shall ask us for laurel,
And thou shalt have plenty to spare.
Elegy On The Death Of A Church Mouse
‘Colonel Gaddafi is dead; long live Gaddafi’,
- whose words those are?
don’t shoot, don’t shoot,
enough blood is spilled!
Gaddafi,
a leaf from the tree is dead;
leaf sprouts, leaf eats, leaf sleeps in the sky,
leaf waves the world in the cheer of palm,
makes no sand out of storm,
no beating themselves by the horse drain,
no hanging noose by the cock’s strain.
Leaf feeds the tree with green
when upon it’s tender face, the horrid-sun shine,
leaf, bearer of flower, bearer of seed,
never the taster of the sap from earth
till drops dead in the paleness of red,
‘don't shoot, don't shoot,
upon the sand is blood,
for the Colonel is dead’,
said, the tree,
and said, ‘Long live Gaddafi!
poem by Saranyan Bee
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Put It There
Give me your hand Id like to shake it
I want to show you Im your friend.
Youll understand if I can make it clear
Its all that matters in the end.
Put it there if it weighs a ton,
Thats what the father said to his younger son.
I dont care if it weighs a ton,
As long as you and I are here, put it there.
Long as you and I are here, put it there.
If theres a fight Id like to fix it,
I hate to see things go so wrong.
The darkest night and all its mixed emotions,
Is getting lighter sing a song.
Put it ther, ...
song performed by by Paul McCartney
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ruined Souls
Decayed tombstones, broken-winged angels
still breathing in this courtyard.
The old kings, heroes and warriors having a long term rest
after a brutal murder.
cemetery flowers; some withered
but some in bloom.
there is no room for the spectators and tresspassers
who search their ancestors.
chains, swords, crowns, rings bracelets and bangles
all had been turned to dust.
nothing remained.
even their names and addresses
everything washed and vanished
by the heavy rains.
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Fame '90 (Gass Remix)
Fame 90
David Bowie
words and music by David Bowie, John Lennon and Carlos Alomar
Fame, makes a man take things over
Fame, lets him loose, hard to swallow
Fame, puts you there where things are hollow
Fame
Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame
That burns your change to keep you insane
Fame
Fame-f-fame
Fame, what you like is in the limo
Fame, what you get is no tomorrow
Fame, what you need you have to borrow
Fame
Fame, "Nien! It's mine!" is just his line
To bind your time, it drives you to crime
Fame
(What's your name?)
Fame
Could it be the best, could it be?
Really be, really, babe?
Could it be, my babe, could it babe?
Really, really?
Is it any wonder I reject you first?
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool
Fame
Fame-f-fame
Fame, bully for you, chilly for me
Got to get a rain check on pain
Fame
Fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame
Fame
What's your name?
(whispered)
Feeling so gay, feeling gay
song performed by by David Bowie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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If I Knew What Poets Know
If I knew what poets know,
Would I write a rhyme
Of the buds that never blow
In the summer-time?
Would I sing of golden seeds
Springing up in ironweeds?
And of rain-drops turned to snow,
If I knew what poets know?
Did I know what poets do,
Would I sing a song
Sadder than the pigeon's coo
When the days are long?
Where I found a heart in pain,
I would make it glad again;
And the false should be the true,
Did I know what poets do.
If I knew what poets know,
I would find a theme
Sweeter than the placid flow
Of the fairest dream:
I would sing of love that lives
On the errors it forgives;
And the world would better grow
If I knew what poets know.
poem by James Whitcomb Riley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Touch the Sleeping Strings Again
Say not, O say not, we are strangers,
By freak chance together brought;
Remind me not of lurking dangers
In wreaths of friendship quickly wrought.
Some sweet attraction draws me to you;
From Memory's harp strange murmurs flow;
And something makes me think I knew you
Beyond the sea of Long Ago.
Touch the sleeping strings and
tell me, tell me whether,
Thence comes music sweet and low:
Did not we walk some shore together
Beyond the sea of Long Ago?
Your eyes, in bashful glances falling,
Light up a landscape far away;
Your voice-- to hear it is recalling
A sweet but long forgotten lay.
When all the year was pleasant weather,
And none had heard of pain or woe,
Did not we sing this tune together
Beyond the sea of Long Ago?
Think not, although I speak so boldly,
That idle words are on my tongue;
Receive my greeting not so coldly,
Nor hush the harp that would have sung;
For lightly touched, as by a feather,
The sleeping strings will thrill, I know:
Were not our spririts linked together
Beyond the sea of Long Ago?
poem by Henry Clay Work
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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My Guitar Hummmmmmssssss Anew
MY GUITAR HUMMMMMMSSSSSS ANEW
melvin Banggollay
My old guitar had been hanging on the wall
for so long since the time I lost my balls
to sing the passion of my loving heart
as I did before my sorrows deeply starts
When I used to sing the sweetest melody
my tender hearts loved to emit and play
while my dear love hummed besides
with loveliness I thought never supsides.
Yes, dust of pains embroidered my guitar
when I had not sung with it like a superstar
and his strings can't even echo a sound
as dust so thick stuck by decades round
but now when I behold a new love's glare
upon a poets charm full of wisdom's clear
I begun to strum my old guitar's to renew
my ardent desire to love someone new.
poem by Melvin Banggollay
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Let The Party Begin
Let the party begin
Come on let's sing this song
The day is over, it's party time
Forget your problems and drink a glas of wine
The celebration is happening tonight
Just feel the rhythm, till the morning light
Let's have fun all night long
I know you got the key
All together we're strong
A feeling wild and free
Let's have fun all night long
I know you got the key
Take my hand and come with me to wonderland
Let the party begin
We're dancing tonight
We're ready to go
And the feeling is right
Let the party begin
The music goes on
Come on let's sing this song
Let me say say say
It's summer holiday
We will sing together all night long
Let me say say say
Its summer holiday
Come on everybody sing this song
So let the music move your feet
Express your feelings, here's the magic beat
Come join the party, friends are everywhere
Ride on the rhythm, music's in the air
There's music in the air
Just feel it everywhere
This is the way to reach our soul
The rhythm takes control
song performed by by DJ Bobo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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