“Rum Coves That Relieve Us”
[By HEINRICH BAUMANN in Londonismen].
I
Rum coves that relieve us [1]
Of clunkers and pieces, [2]
Is gin’rally lagged, [3]
Or wuss luck gets scragg’d. [4]
II
Are smashers and divers [5]
And noble contrivers
Not sold to the beaks [6]
By the coppers an’ sneaks? [7]
III
Yet moochin’ arch-screevers, [8]
Concoctin’ deceivers,
Chaps as reap like their own
What by tothers were sown;
IV
Piratical fakers [9]
Of bosh by the acres,
These muck-worms of trash
Cut, oh, a great dash.
V
But, there, it don’t matter
Since, to cut it still fatter,
By ‘ook and by crook
Ve’ve got up this book.
VI
Tell ye ’ow? Vy in rum kens, [10]
In flash cribs and slum dens, [11]
I’ the alleys and courts,
‘Mong the doocedest sorts;
VII
When jawin’ with Jillie
Or Mag and ’er Billie,
Ve shoved down in black
Their illigant clack. [12]
VIII
So from hartful young dodgers,
From vaxy old codgers, [13]
From the blowens ve got [14]
Soon to know vot is vot.
IX
Now then there is yer sumptuous
Tuck-in of most scrumptious,
And dainty mag-pie! [15]
Will ye jes’ come and try?
[1: thieves] [2: money] [3: imprisoned] [4: hung] [5: counterfeiters; pickpockets] [6: magistrates] [7: police; informers] [8: prowling; begging letter writers] [9: writers of “blood and thunder”] [10: queer places] [11: thieves’ resorts] [12: talk] [13: men] [14: prostitutes] [15: speech]