They could not tell me who should be my lord,
But I could read from every word they said
The common thought: Perhaps that lord was dead,
And only a story now and a wandering word.
How could I follow a word or serve a fable,
They asked me. `Here are lords a-plenty. Take
Service with one, if only for your sake,
Yet better be your own master if you're able.'
I would rather scour the roads, a masterless dog,
Than take such service, be a public fool,
Obstreperous or tongue-tied, a good rogue,
Than be with those, the clever and the dull,
Who say that lord is dead; when I can hear
Daily his dying whisper in my ear.
They Could Not Tell Me Who Should Be My Lord
Edwin Muir
(1)
Poem topics: dog, tongue, good, hear, whisper, story, fool, sake, master, public, common, follow, thought, daily, I love you, I miss you, service, Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
<< Scotland 1941 Poem
Next Poem
Write your comment about They Could Not Tell Me Who Should Be My Lord poem by Edwin Muir
Best Poems of Edwin Muir