The Batchelors Song by Thomas Flatman (1637-1688)
Like a Dog with a bottle, fast ti'd to his tail,
Like Vermin in a trap, or a Thief in a Jail,
Or like a Tory in a Bog,
Or an Ape with a Clog:
Such is the man, who when he might go free,
Does his liberty loose,
For a Matrimony noose,
And sels himself into Captivity;
The Dog he do's howl, when his bottle do's jog,
The Vermin, the Theif, and the Tory in vain
Of the trap, of the Jail, of the Quagmire complain.
But welfare poor Pug! for he playes with his Clog;
And tho' he would be rid on't rather than his life,
Yet he lugg's it, and he hug's it, as a man does his wife.
Привязали бутылку к собаке – за хвост,
а Воришка и Крыса – в ловушке всерьёз,
Шимпанзе – в башмаках,
и Политик – в тисках:
так и тот, кто меняет свободу – чудак –
на удавку жены,
на соблазн новизны,
заключив с несвободой пожизненный брак;
Крыса, Вор и Политик из вязкой тщеты,
разрываясь на части, бегут со всех ног:
из тюрьмы, от сумы, от людской суеты.
Мопс, бедняга, хранит и башмак, и порог;
Он и бросить бы рад этот тягостный груз,
Но хранит и лелеет, как праведный муж.