DanFosing/public-domain-poetry huggingface dataset:
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 31.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Norway,
Who casually sat in a doorway;
When the door squeezed her flat,
She exclaimed, "What of that?"
This courageous Young Lady of Norway.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 26.
by Edward Lear

There was a young Lady of Dorking,
Who bought a large bonnet for walking;
But its colour and size,
So bedazzled her eyes,
That she very soon went back to Dorking.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 16.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young lady of Portugal,
Whose ideas were excessively nautical;
She climbed up a tree,
To examine the sea,
But declared she would never leave Portugal.
Dining
by Unknown

There was a young lady of Cork,
Whose Pa made a fortune in pork;
He bought for his daughter
A tutor who taught her
To balance green peas on her fork.
To Miss Vera Beringer
by Lewis Carroll

There was a young lady of station
'I love man' was her sole exclamation
But when men cried, 'You flatter'
She replied, 'Oh! no matter
Isle of Man is the true explanation.'
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 79.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Tyre,
Who swept the loud chords of a lyre;
At the sound of each sweep,
She enraptured the deep,
And enchanted the city of Tyre.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 5.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady whose bonnet,
Came untied when the birds sate upon it;
But she said, "I don't care!
All the birds in the air
Are welcome to sit on my bonnet!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 41.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady whose nose,
Was so long that it reached to her toes;
So she hired an Old Lady,
Whose conduct was steady,
To carry that wonderful nose.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 47.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Poole,
Whose soup was excessively cool;
So she put it to boil,
By the aid of some oil,
That ingenious Young Lady of Poole.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 109.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Parma,
Whose conduct grew calmer and calmer;
When they said, "Are you dumb?"
She merely said, "Hum!"
That provoking Young Lady of Parma.
Society
by Unknown

There was a young person called Smarty,
Who sent out his cards for a party;
So exclusive and few
Were the friends that he knew
That no one was present but Smarty.
Diet
by Unknown

There was a young lady named Maud,
A very deceptive young fraud;
She never was able
To eat at the table,
But out in the pantry - O Lord!
More Nonsense Limerick 24
by Edward Lear

There was a young person in green,
Who seldom was fit to be seen;
She wore a long shawl, 
Over bonnet and all,
Which enveloped that person in green.
More Nonsense Limerick 85
by Edward Lear

There was a young lady of Corsica,
Who purchased a little brown saucy-cur;
Which she fed upon ham, 
And hot raspberry jam,
That expensive young lady of Corsica.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 2.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Ryde,
Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied;
She purchased some clogs,
And some small spotty dogs,
And frequently walked about Ryde.
More Nonsense Limerick 73
by Edward Lear

There was a young person of Ayr,
Whose head was remarkably square:
On the top, in fine weather, 
She wore a gold feather;
Which dazzled the people of Ayr.
Mistaken Identity
by Unknown

There was a young fellow named Paul,
Who went to a fancy dress ball;
They say, just for fun
He dressed up like a bun,
And was "et" by a dog in the hall.
Courtship
by Unknown

There was a young man from the West,
Who loved a young lady with zest;
So hard did he press her
To make her say, "Yes, sir,"
That he broke three cigars in his vest.
More Nonsense Limerick 32
by Edward Lear

There was a young person in pink,
Who called out for something to drink;
But they said, "O my daughter, 
There's nothing but water!"
Which vexed that young person in pink.
More Nonsense Limerick 38
by Edward Lear

There was a young lady in blue,
Who said, "Is it you? Is it you?"
When they said, "Yes, it is," 
She replied only, "Whizz!"
That ungracious young lady in blue.
Truth
by Unknown

There was a young lady named Ruth,
Who had a great passion for truth.
She said she would die
Before she would lie,
And she died in the prime of her youth.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 30.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady whose eyes,
Were unique as to colour and size;
When she opened them wide,
People all turned aside,
And started away in surprise.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 95.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Welling,
Whose praise all the world was a-telling;
She played on the harp,
And caught several carp,
That accomplished Young Lady of Welling.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 112.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Clare,
Who was sadly pursued by a bear;
When she found she was tired,
She abruptly expired,
That unfortunate Lady of Clare.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 88.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady of Troy,
Whom several large flies did annoy;
Some she killed with a thump,
Some she drowned at the pump,
And some she took with her to Troy.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 12.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady whose chin,
Resembled the point of a pin:
So she had it made sharp,
And purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.
Diet
by Unknown

There was a young lady named Perkins,
Who had a great fondness for gherkins;
She went to a tea
And ate twenty-three,
Which pickled her internal workin's.
The Romance Of Patrolman Casey
by Ellis Parker Butler

There was a young patrolman who
Had large but tender feet;
They always hurt him badly when
He walked upon his beat.
(He always took them with him when
He walked upon his beat.)
His name was Patrick Casey and
A sweetheart fair had he;
Her face was full of freckles, but
Her name was Kate McGee.
(It was in spite of freckles that
Her name was Kate McGee.)
'Oh, Pat!' she said, 'I'll wed you when
Promotion comes to you!'
'I'm much-obliged,' he answered, and
'I'll see what I can do.'
(I may remark he said it thus,
'Oi'll say phwat Oi kin do.')
So then he bought some new shoes which
Allowed his feet more ease,
They may have been large twelves. Perhaps
Eighteens, or twenty-threes.
(That's rather large for shoes, I think,
Eighteens or twenty-threes!)
What last they were I don't know, but
Somehow it seems to me
I've heard somewhere they either were
A, B, C, D, or E.
(More likely they were five lasts wide,
A, B plus C, D, E.)
They were the stoutest cowhide that
Could be peeled off a cow.
:     :     :     :
But he was not promoted
:     :     :     :
So
Kate wed him anyhow.
:     :     :     :
(This world is crowded full of Kates
That wed them anyhow.)
Seasickness
by Unknown

There was a young man from Ostend,
Who vowed he'd hold out to the end;
But when half way over
From Calais to Dover,
He did what he didn't intend.
More Nonsense Limerick 86
by Edward Lear

There was a young lady of Firle,
Whose hair was addicted to curl;
It curled up a tree, 
And all over the sea,
That expansive young lady of Firle.
Etiquet
by Unknown

There was a young man so benighted,
He never knew when he was slighted;
He would go to a party,
And eat just as hearty,
As if he'd been really invited.
More Nonsense Limerick 1
by Edward Lear

There was a young person of Bantry,
Who frequently slept in the pantry;
When disturbed by the mice, 
She appeased them with rice,
That judicious young person of Bantry.
Kisses
by Unknown

There was a young sailor of Lyd,
Who loved a fair Japanese kid;
When it came to good-bye,
They were eager but shy,
So they put up a sunshade and - did.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 6.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young Person of Smyrna,
Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her;
But she seized on the Cat,
And said, "Granny, burn that!
"You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna!"
More Nonsense Limerick 90
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Blackheath,
Whose head was adorned with a wreath
Of lobsters and spice, 
Pickled onions and mice,
That uncommon old man of Blackheath.
More Nonsense Limerick 13
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Dee-side
Whose hat was exceedingly wide,
But he said, "Do not fail, 
If it happen to hail,
To come under my hat at Dee-side!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 55.
by Edward Lear

There was an old Man of Bohemia,
Whose daughter was christened Euphemia;
Till one day, to his grief,
She married a thief,
Which grieved that old Man of Bohemia.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 43.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Apulia,
Whose conduct was very peculiar;
He fed twenty sons,
Upon nothing but buns,
That whimsical Man of Apulia.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 10.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was horribly bored by a Bee;
When they said, "Does it buzz?"
He replied, "Yes, it does!
"It's a regular brute of a Bee!"
More Nonsense Limerick 83
by Edward Lear

There was an old Lady of Winchelsea,
Who said, "If you needle or pin shall see
On the floor of my room, 
Sweep it up with the broom!"
That exhaustive old Lady of Winchelsea!
Nursery Rhyme. DXX. Natural History.
by Unknown

[An ancient Suffolk song for a bad singer.]
There was an old crow
Sat upon a clod:
There's an end of my song,
That's odd!
More Nonsense Limerick 18
by Edward Lear

There was an old man in a Marsh,
Whose manners were futile and harsh;
He sate on a log, 
And sang songs to a frog,
That instructive old man in a Marsh.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 22.
by Edward Lear

There was a Young person of Crete,
Whose toilette was far from complete;
She dressed in a sack,
Spickle-speckled with black,
That ombliferous person of Crete.
More Nonsense Limerick 44
by Edward Lear

There was a young person of Janina,
Whose uncle was always a fanning her;
When he fanned off her head, 
She smiled sweetly, and said,
"You propitious old person of Janina!"
Funerals
by Unknown

There was an old man in a hearse,
Who murmured, "This might have been worse;
Of course the expense
Is simply immense,
But it doesn't come out of my purse."
More Nonsense Limerick 84
by Edward Lear

There was an old man in a tree,
Whose whiskers were lovely to see;
But the birds of the air 
Pluck'd them perfectly bare,
To make themselves nests in that tree.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 110.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Aosta,
Who possessed a large Cow, but he lost her;
But they said, "Don't you see,
She has rushed up a tree?
You invidious Old Man of Aosta!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 15.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man in a boat,
Who said, "I'm afloat! I'm afloat!"
When they said, "No! you ain't!"
He was ready to faint,
That unhappy Old Man in a boat.
More Nonsense Limerick 21
by Edward Lear

There was an old man at a Station,
Who made a promiscuous oration;
But they said, "Take some snuff! - 
You have talk'd quite enough,
You afflicting old man at a Station!"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 25.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Columbia,
Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer;
But they brought it quite hot,
In a small copper pot,
Which disgusted that man of Columbia.
More Nonsense Limerick 88
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Boulak,
Who sate on a Crocodile's back;
But they said, "Towr'ds the night 
He may probably bite,
Which might vex you, old man of Boulak!"
More Nonsense Limerick 70
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Ancona,
Who found a small dog with no owner,
Which he took up and down 
All the streets of the town,
That anxious old man of Ancona.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 9.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Lady of Chertsey,
Who made a remarkable curtsey;
She twirled round and round,
Till she sunk underground,
Which distressed all the people of Chertsey.
Sonnet
by John Collings Squire, Sir

There was an Indian, who had known no change,
Who strayed content along a sunlit beach
Gathering shells.    He heard a sudden strange
Commingled noise; looked up; and gasped for speech.
For in the bay, where nothing was before,
Moved on the sea, by magic, huge canoes,
With bellying cloths on poles, and not one oar,
And fluttering coloured signs and clambering crews.
And he, in fear, this naked man alone,
His fallen hands forgetting all their shells,
His lips gone pale, knelt low behind a stone,
And stared, and saw, and did not understand,
Columbus's doom-burdened caravels
Slant to the shore, and all their seamen land.
The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington
by George Wharton Edwards

There was a youthe, and a well-beloved youthe,
And he was a squire's son;
He loved the bayliffe's daughter deare,
That lived in Islington.
Yet she was coye, and would not believe
That he did love her soe,
Noe nor at any time would she
Any countenance to him showe.
But when his friendes did understand
His fond and foolish minde,
They sent him up to faire London,
An apprentice for to binde.
And when he had been seven long yeares,
And never his love could see,--
"Many a teare have I shed for her sake,
When she little thought of mee."
Then all the maids of Islington
Went forth to sport and playe,
All but the bayliffe's daughter deare;
She secretly stole awaye.
She pulled off her gowne of greene,
And put on ragged attire,
And to faire London she would go
Her true love to enquire.
And as she went along the high road,
The weather being hot and drye,
She sat her downe upon a green bank,
And her true love came riding bye.
She started up, with a colour soe redd,
Catching hold of his bridle-reine;
"One penny, one penny, kind sir," she sayd,
"Will ease me of much paine."
"Before I give you one penny, sweet-heart,
Praye tell me where you were borne."
"At Islington, kind sir," sayd shee,
"Where I have had many a scorne."
"I prythee, sweet-heart, then tell to mee,
O tell me, whether you knowe
The bayliffes daughter of Islington."
"She is dead, sir, long agoe."
"If she be dead, then take my horse,
My saddle and bridle also;
For I will into some farr countrye,
Where noe man shall me knowe."
"O staye, O staye, thou goodlye youthe,
She standeth by thy side;
She is here alive, she is not dead,
And readye to be thy bride."
"O farewell griefe, and welcome joye,
Ten thousand times therefore;
For nowe I have founde mine owne true love,
Whom I thought I should never see more."
More Nonsense Limerick 33
by Edward Lear

There was an old lady of France,
Who taught little ducklings to dance;
When she said, "Tick-a-tack!"
They only said, "Quack!"
Which grieved that old lady of France.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 58.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Lady whose folly,
Induced her to sit in a holly;
Whereon by a thorn,
Her dress being torn,
She quickly became melancholy.
More Nonsense Limerick 95
by Edward Lear

There was a young person of Kew,
Whose virtues and vices were few;
But with blamable haste 
She devoured some hot paste,
Which destroyed that young person of Kew.
Thin People
by Unknown

There was an old fellow named Green,
Who grew so abnormally lean,
And flat, and compressed,
That his back touched his chest,
And sideways he couldn't be seen.
There was a young lady of Lynn,
Who was so excessively thin,
That when she essayed
To drink lemonade
She slipped through the straw and fell in.
More Nonsense Limerick 45
by Edward Lear

There was an old man of Cashmere,
Whose movements were scroobious and queer;
Being slender and tall,
He looked over a wall,
And perceived two fat ducks of Cashmere.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 103.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Lady of Prague,
Whose language was horribly vague;
When they said, "Are these caps?"
She answered, "Perhaps!"
That oracular Lady of Prague.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 57.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Cape Horn,
Who wished he had never been born;
So he sat on a chair,
Till he died of despair,
That dolorous Man of Cape Horn.
More Nonsense Limerick 39
by Edward Lear

There was an old Man in a Garden,
Who always begged every one's pardon;
When they asked him, "What for?" 
He replied, "You're a bore!
And I trust you'll go out of my garden."
The Impecunious Cricket And The Frugal Ant
by Guy Wetmore Carryl

There was an ant, a spinster ant,
Whose virtues were so many
That she became intolerant
Of those who hadn't any:
She had a small and frugal mind
And lived a life ascetic,
Nor was her temperament the kind
That's known as sympathetic.
I skip details. Suffice to say
That, knocking at her wicket,
There chanced to come one autumn day
A common garden cricket
So ragged, poor, and needy that,
Without elucidation,
One saw the symptoms of a bat
Of several months' duration.
He paused beside her door-step, and,
With one pathetic gesture,
He called attention with his hand
To both his shoes and vesture.
"I joined," said he, "an opera troupe.
They suddenly disbanded,
And left me on the hostel stoop,
Lugubriously stranded.
"I therefore lay aside my pride
And frankly ask for clothing."
"Begone!" the frugal ant replied.
"I look on you with loathing.
Your muddy shoes have spoiled the lawn,
Your hands have soiled the fence, too.
If you need money, go and pawn
Your watch--if you have sense to."
THE MORAL is: Albeit lots
Of people follow Dr. Watts,
The sluggard, when his means are scant,
Should seek an uncle, not an ant!
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 59.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Corfu,
Who never knew what he should do;
So he rushed up and down,
Till the sun made him brown,
That bewildered Old Man of Corfu.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 69.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Coblenz,
The length of whose legs was immense;
He went with one prance,
From Turkey to France,
That surprising Old Man of Coblenz.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 89.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Berlin,
Whose form was uncommonly thin;
Till he once, by mistake,
Was mixed up in a cake,
So they baked that Old Man of Berlin.
Kisses
by Unknown

There was an old maiden from Fife,
Who had never been kissed in her life;
Along came a cat;
And she said, "I'll kiss that!"
But the cat answered, "Not on your life!"
More Nonsense Limerick 6
by Edward Lear

There was an old man in a barge,
Whose nose was exceedingly large;
But in fishing by night, 
It supported a light,
Which helped that old man in a barge.
Time
by Unknown

There was a young woman named Sue,
Who wanted to catch the 2:02;
Said the trainman, "Don't hurry
Or flurry or worry;
It's a minute or two to 2:02."
The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington
by Frank Sidgwick

The Text is formed by a collation of six broadsides printed between 1672 and 1700: they do not, however, present many variations. Here, if anywhere, one would demand licence to make alterations and improvements. In stanza 12 the rhymes are almost certainly misplaced; and the last stanza is quite superfluous. It would be much more in keeping with ballad-style to end with the twelfth, and many of the variants now sung conclude thus. This ballad is still extremely popular, and not only has it been included in many selections and song-books, but it is also still in oral tradition.
The Story is simple and pre-eminently in the popular vein. Counterparts exist elsewhere in the languages derived from Latin, and in Romaic.
THE BAILIFF'S DAUGHTER OF ISLINGTON
1.
There was a youth, and a well-belov'd youth,
And he was a squire's son,
He loved the bailiff's daughter dear,
That lived in Islington.
2.
She was coy, and she would not believe
That he did love her so,
No, nor at any time she would
Any countenance to him show.
3.
But when his friends did understand
His fond and foolish mind,
They sent him up to fair London,
An apprentice for to bind.
4.
And when he had been seven long years,
And his love he had not seen,
'Many a tear have I shed for her sake
When she little thought of me.'
5.
All the maids of Islington
Went forth to sport and play;
All but the bailiff's daughter dear;
She secretly stole away.
6.
She put off her gown of gray,
And put on her puggish attire;
She's up to fair London gone,
Her true-love to require.
7.
As she went along the road,
The weather being hot and dry,
There was she aware of her true-love,
At length came riding by.
8.
She stept to him, as red as any rose,
And took him by the bridle-ring:
'I pray you, kind sir, give me one penny,
To ease my weary limb.'
9.
'I prithee, sweetheart, canst thou tell me
Where that thou wast born?'
'At Islington, kind sir,' said she,
'Where I have had many a scorn.'
10.
'I prithee, sweetheart, canst thou tell me
Whether thou dost know
The bailiff's daughter of Islington?'
'She's dead, sir, long ago.'
11.
'Then I will sell my goodly steed,
My saddle and my bow;
I will into some far country,
Where no man doth me know.'
12.
'O stay, O stay, thou goodly youth!
She's alive, she is not dead;
Here she standeth by thy side,
And is ready to be thy bride.'
13.
'O farewell grief, and welcome joy,
Ten thousand times and more!
For now I have seen my own true love,
That I thought I should have seen no more.'
More Nonsense Limerick 79
by Edward Lear

There was a young person whose history
Was always considered a mystery;
She sate in a ditch, 
Although no one knew which,
And composed a small treatise on history.
The Auld Fisher
by George MacDonald

There was an auld fisher, he sat by the wa',
An' luikit oot ower the sea;
The bairnies war playin, he smil't on them a',
But the tear stude in his e'e.
An' it's--oh to win awa, awa!
An' it's, oh to win awa
Whaur the bairns come hame, an' the wives they bide,
An' God is the father o' a'!
Jocky an' Jeamy an' Tammy oot there
A' i' the boatie gaed doon;
An' I'm ower auld to fish ony mair,
Sae I hinna the chance to droon!
An' it's--oh to win awa, awa! &c.
An' Jeannie she grat to ease her hert,
An' she easit hersel awa;
But I'm ower auld for the tears to stert,
An' sae the sighs maun blaw.
An' it's--oh to win awa, awa! &c.
Lord, steer me hame whaur my Lord has steerit,
For I'm tired o' life's rockin sea;
An' dinna be lang, for I'm growin that fearit
'At I'm ablins ower auld to dee!
An' it's--oh to win awa, awa!
An' it's, oh to win awa
Whaur the bairns come hame, an' the wives they bide,
An' God is the father o' a'!
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 71.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man in a pew,
Whose waistcoat was spotted with blue;
But he tore it in pieces,
To give to his nieces, - 
That cheerful Old Man in a pew.
More Nonsense Limerick 2
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man at a Junction,
Whose feelings were wrung with compunction
When they said, "The Train's gone!" 
He exclaimed, "How forlorn!"
But remained on the rails of the Junction.
Book Of Nonsense
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Derry down Derry,
Who loved to see little folks merry;
So he made them a Book,
And with laughter they shook,
At the fun of that Derry down Derry!
Sonnet III
by Alan Seeger

There was a youth around whose early way
White angels hung in converse and sweet choir,
Teaching in summer clouds his thought to stray, - 
In cloud and far horizon to desire.
His life was nursed in beauty, like the stream
Born of clear showers and the mountain dew,
Close under snow-clad summits where they gleam
Forever pure against heaven's orient blue.
Within the city's shades he walked at last.
Faint and more faint in sad recessional
Down the dim corridors of Time outworn,
A chorus ebbed from that forsaken past,
A hymn of glories fled beyond recall
With the lost heights and splendor of life's morn.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 105.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man at a easement,
Who held up his hands in amazement;
When they said, "Sir, you'll fall!"
He replied, "Not at all!"
That incipient Old Man at a casement.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 70.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Calcutta,
Who perpetually ate bread and butter;
Till a great bit of muffin,
On which he was stuffing,
Choked that horrid old man of Calcutta.
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 32.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Vienna,
Who lived upon Tincture of Senna;
When that did not agree,
He took Camomile Tea,
That nasty Old Man of Vienna.
There was an Old Man of St. Bees
by William Schwenck Gilbert

There was an Old Man of St. Bees
Who was stung in the arm by a wasp.
When asked, "Does it hurt?"
He replied, "No, it doesn't,
But I thought all the while 'twas a hornet."
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 29.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of the Wrekin,
Whose shoes made a horrible creaking;
But they said, "Tell us whether,
Your shoes are of leather,
Or of what, you Old Man of the Wrekin?"
Book Of Nonsense Limerick 56.
by Edward Lear

There was an Old Man of Vesuvius,
Who studied the works of Vitruvius;
When the flames burnt his book,
To drinking he took,
That morbid Old Man of Vesuvius.