One eyed something or other from Kathmandu
Alex Hardisty
There exists a poem (loosely related to mountains as I recall, or at
least oft performed in club huts!) about a one eyed something or other
from Kathmandu. Can anyone jog my memory and provide the words - or
point me in the direction of them?
--
Alex Hardisty
Nick Saunders
I hope this is what you're looking for.
Nick Saunders
-------------
The Green Eye of The Yellow God
There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the North of Khatmandu
There's a little marble cross below the town
There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew
And the Yellow God forever gazes down
He was known as Mad Carew by the `subs' at Khatmandu
He was hotter than they felt inclined to tell
But for all his foolish pranks, he was worshipped in the ranks
And the Colonel's daughter smiled on him as well
He had loved her all along with the passion of the strong
and that she returned his love was plain to all
She was almost twenty one, and arrangements had begun
to celebrate her birthday with a ball
He wrote to ask what present she would like from Mad Carew
They met next day as he dismissed his squad,
And jestingly she made pretence that nothing else would do
but the green eye of the Little Yellow God.
The night before the dance, Mad Carew seemed in a trance
They chafed him as he puffed at his cigar
But for once he failed to smile and he sat alone a while
Then went out into the dark beneath the stars
He returned before the dawn, with his shirt and tunic torn
A gash across his forehead dripping red
He was sent to bed right away, and he slept throughout the day
And the colonels daughter sat beside his bed
He awoke at last and asked, if they could send his tunic through
She brought it and he thanked her with a nod
He bade her search the pocket, saying `that's from Mad Carew'
And she found the green eye of the Little Yellow God
She scolded Mad Carew, in the way that women do
Though both her eye's were strangley hot and wet
But she wouldn't take the stone, and mad Carew was left alone
With the jewel he'd chanced his life to get
When the ball was at it's height, On that still and tropic night
She thought of him, and hastened to his room
As she crossed the barrack square, she could hear the dreamy air
Of a waltz tune softly stealing through the gloom
The door was opened wide, with silver moonlight shining through
The place was wet and slippey where she trod
An ugly knife lay buried in the breast of Mad Carew
T'was the vengeance of the Little Yellow God
There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the North of Khatmandu
There's a little marble cross below the town
There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew
And the Yellow God forever gazes down
John Dawson
In article: <rZ2r9BAO...@pqm-cons.demon.co.uk> Alex Hardisty
>
> There exists a poem (loosely related to mountains as I recall, or at
> least oft performed in club huts!) about a one eyed something or other
> from Kathmandu. Can anyone jog my memory and provide the words - or
> point me in the direction of them?
There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Khatmandu,
There's a little marble cross below the town;
There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew
And the Yellow God forever gazes down.
from The Green Eye of the Yellow God
by J. Milton Hayes (school of McGonagall, perhaps)
--
John Dawson - at home in Kendal, Cumbria
Lake District Walks Web Pages (Medaille d'Or and Yell Top 10 new site)
at: http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/ldnet/
39 detailed walks and 250+ photographs
Stuart Baldwin
On Sat, 29 Nov 1997 19:27:28 +0000, John Dawson <jo...@jondaw.demon.co.uk>
wrote:
>In article: <rZ2r9BAO...@pqm-cons.demon.co.uk> Alex Hardisty
><al...@pqm-cons.demon.co.uk> writes:
>>
>> There exists a poem (loosely related to mountains as I recall, or at
>> least oft performed in club huts!) about a one eyed something or other
>> from Kathmandu. Can anyone jog my memory and provide the words - or
>> point me in the direction of them?
>
>There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Khatmandu,
>There's a little marble cross below the town;
>There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew
>And the Yellow God forever gazes down.
>
>from The Green Eye of the Yellow God
>by J. Milton Hayes (school of McGonagall, perhaps)
>
Certainly looks that way.
Ok. Next one: does anyone know anything about 'The Ballad of Idwal
Slabs'? A friend of mine (are you there, Clive?) used to recite this when
he was pi^H^H in a convivial mood but I don't recall seeing mention of it
elsewhere. I have a vague recollection that it might have been written by
Showell Styles, but I've never managed to track it down.
--
Stuart http://www.boxatrix.demon.co.uk
Chris Hoskins
Thanks Nick.
Somehow I can't read this poem without seeing Tommy Cooper and his
collection of hats. You made my day.
Chris.
Nick Saunders <ni...@double.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<3480673a...@news.demon.co.uk>...
> On Sat, 29 Nov 1997 15:41:02 +0000, Alex Hardisty
> <al...@pqm-cons.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >There exists a poem (loosely related to mountains as I recall, or at
> >least oft performed in club huts!) about a one eyed something or other
> >from Kathmandu. Can anyone jog my memory and provide the words - or
> >point me in the direction of them?
> >
Alex Hardisty
In article <3480d0ad...@news.demon.co.uk>, Stuart Baldwin
<stu...@boxatrix.demon.co.uk> writes
>Ok. Next one: does anyone know anything about 'The Ballad of Idwal
>Slabs'? A friend of mine (are you there, Clive?) used to recite this when
>he was pi^H^H in a convivial mood but I don't recall seeing mention of it
>elsewhere. I have a vague recollection that it might have been written by
>Showell Styles, but I've never managed to track it down.
It was indeed written by him and appears in the Mountaineer's Weekend
Book - sadly, now out of print; although you can sometimes obtain from
second-hand bookshops.
The first verse is:
"I'll tell you the tale of a climber; a drama of love on the crags;
A story to pluck at your heart-strings, and tear your emotions to rags.
He was tall, he was fair, he was handsome; John Christopher Brown was
his name;
The Very Severes nearly bored him to tears - and he felt about girls
much the same. ...."
--
Alex Hardisty
Alex Hardisty
In article <3480673a...@news.demon.co.uk>, Nick Saunders
<ni...@double.demon.co.uk> writes
>I hope this is what you're looking for.
>
>Nick Saunders
>-------------
>
>
>The Green Eye of The Yellow God
It certainly was - thank you.
--
Alex Hardisty
Stuart Baldwin
Ah, stirring stuff indeed. Thanks for the confirmation of the source.
I'll keep an eye open for it.
--
Stuart http://www.boxatrix.demon.co.uk
Chris J Holder
Stuart
I've seen that poem recently in a book I borrowed from my local library.
Next time I go in, I'll borrow it and post it here. Unless some-one beats me
to it!
Regards
Chris Holder
Worcester
Roger Caffin
Alex Hardisty <al...@pqm-cons.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<l8d4ELAo...@pqm-cons.demon.co.uk>...> (formally the one Eyed God....)
> >Ok. Next one: does anyone know anything about 'The Ballad of Idwal
> >Slabs'?
> It was indeed written by him and appears in the Mountaineer's Weekend
> Book - sadly, now out of print; although you can sometimes obtain from
> second-hand bookshops.
> The first verse is:
> "I'll tell you the tale of a climber; a drama of love on the crags;
> A story to pluck at your heart-strings, and tear your emotions to rags.
> He was tall, he was fair, he was handsome; John Christopher Brown was
> his name;
> The Very Severes nearly bored him to tears - and he felt about girls
> much the same. ...."
I have the full text somewhere.
My understanding was that this epic was actually meant to celebrate the
courtship and marriage of Joe Brown. Whether this is true or not I cannot
say. FWIIW.
Cheers, Roger
--
Roger Caffin (Dr)
Director
Berrilee Consulting Services P/L
5 Charltons Ck Rd
Berrilee NSW 2159
Australia
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