The Forlorn Shepherd’s Complaint.?

An Unpublished Poem, from Sydney.

“Vell! Here I am — no Matter how it suits

A-keeping Company vith them dumb Brutes²;

Old Park vos no bad Judge — confound his vig!

Of vot vood break the Sperrit of a Prig!

“The Like of Me, to come to New Sow Wales

To go a-tagging arter Vethers’ Tails

And valk in Herbage as delights the Flock,

But stinks³ of Sweet Herbs vorser nor the Dock!

“To go to set this solitary⁴ Job

To Von whose Vork vos alvay in a Mob!

It’s out of all our Lines, for sure I am

Jack⁵ Shepherd even never kep a Lamb!

“I arn’t ashamed to say I sit and veep

To think of Seven Year of keepin Sheep,

The spooniest Beast in Nater, all to Sticks,

And not a Votch to take for all their Ticks!

“If I’d fore-seed how Transports vould turn out

To only Baa! and Botanize about,

I’d quite as leaf have had the t’other Pull,

And come to Cotton, as to all this Vool!

“Von only happy moment I have had

Since here I come to be a Farmer’s Cad,

And then I cotch’d a vild Beast in a Snooze,

And pick’d her pouch⁶ of three young Kangaroos!

“Vot chance haye I to go to Race or Mill?

Or show a sneaking⁷ Kindness for a Till;

And as for Vashings, on a hedge to dry,

I’d put the Natives’ Linen⁸ in my Eye!

“If this whole Lot of Mutton I could scrag,

And find a Fence to turn it into Swag,

I’d give it all in London Streets to stand,

And if I had my pick, I’d say the Strand⁹!

“But ven I goes, as maybe vonce I shall,

To my old Crib to meet with Jack, and Sal,

I’ve been so gallows¹⁰ honest in this Place,

I shan’t not like to show my sheepish Face.

“It’s wery hard for nothing but a Box

Of Irish Blackguard to be keepin’ Flocks,

‘Mong naked Blacks, sich Savages¹¹ to hus,

They’ve nayther got a Pocket nor a Pus.

“But folks may tell their Troubles till they’re sick

To dumb brute¹ Beasts — and so I’ll cut my Stick!

And vot’s the Use a Feller’s Eyes to pipe

Vere von can’t borrow any Gemman’s Vipe?”

1 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

2 brutes   

兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性

参考例句：

• They're not like dogs; they're hideous brutes. 它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。
• Suddenly the foul musty odour of the brutes struck his nostrils. 突然，他的鼻尖闻到了老鼠的霉臭味。 来自英汉文学

3 stinks   

v.散发出恶臭( stink的第三人称单数 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透

参考例句：

• The whole scheme stinks to high heaven—don't get involved in it. 整件事十分卑鄙龌龊——可别陷了进去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soup stinks of garlic. 这汤有大蒜气味。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 pouch   

n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件

参考例句：

• He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。
• The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。

7 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

8 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

9 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

10 gallows   

n.绞刑架，绞台

参考例句：

• The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.谋杀犯由于罪大恶极被处以绞刑。
• Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.现在我将在绞刑架上赎我一切的罪过。

11 savages   

未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。
• That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。