A nobler king had never breath
I say it now, and said it then
Who weds with such is wed till d**h
And wedded stays in Heaven. Amen
(And oh, the shirts of linen-lawn
And all the armor, tagged and tied
And church on Sundays, dusk and dawn
And bed a thing to kneel beside!)
The bravest one stood tall above
The rest, and watched me as a light
I heard and heard them talk of love
I'd naught to do but think, at night
The bravest man has littlest brains
That chalky fool from Astolat
With all her dying and her pains!
Thank God, I helped him over that
I found him not unfair to see
I like a man with peppered hair!
And thus it came about. Ah, me
Tristram was busied otherwhere
A nobler king had never breath
I say it now, and said it then
Who weds with such is wed till d**h
And wedded stays in Heaven. Amen