Page 48 - Poetry-Whimsy

The Golden Bridge

I.
Let him listen, whoso would know,
Concerning the wisdom of King Tee Poh.

II.
Fair is Pekin, with round it rolled
Wave on wave of its river of gold;
They gird its walls with their ninefold twine,
And the bridges that cross them are ninety and nine;
And as soon as the wind of morning blows,
And the gray in the East takes a fleck of rose,
Upon each bridge ‘gins the shuffle and beat
Of hundreds of hoofs and thousands of feet;
And all day long there is dust and din,
And the coolie elbows the mandarin,
And gibe is given, and oath and blow, —
‘Twas thus in the time of King Tee Poh.

III.
It grieved the King that it should be so;
Then out of his wisdom spoke King Tee Poh:

IV.
“Build me a hundredth bridge, the best,
Higher and wider than all the rest,
With posts of teak, and cedarn rails
And planks of sandal, with silver nails;
Gild it and paint it vermilion red,
And over it place the dragon’s head;
And be it proclaimed to high and low,
That over this fortunate arch shall go
Passenger none that doth not throw
Golden toll to the river below.
And when the piece of gold is cast
Thrice let the trumpets sound a blast,
And the mandarin write with respectful look
The passenger’s name in a silken book,
So that I, the King, may have in hand,
The list of the wealthiest of my land.”

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