“When I Was One-and-Twenty” by A.E. Housman [w/ Audio]

When I was one-and-twenty
 I heard a wise man say,
"Give crowns and pounds and guineas
 but not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
 but keep your fancy free."
But I was one-and-twenty,
 No use to talk to me.

When I was one-and-twenty
 I heard him say again,
"The heart out of the bosom
 Was never given in vain;
'Tis paid with sighs a plenty
 And sold for endless rue."
And I am two-and-twenty,
 And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.