The Scapegoat Poem Rhyme Scheme

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We have all of us read how the Israelites fled	A
From Egypt with Pharaoh in eager pursuit of 'em	B
And Pharaoh's fierce troop were all put in the soup	C
When the waters rolled softly o'er every galoot of 'em	B
The Jews were so glad when old Pharaoh was had	D
That they sounded their timbrels and capered like mad	D
You see he was hated from Jordan to Cairo	E
Whence comes the expression to buck against faro	E
	-
For forty long years 'midst perils and fears	F
In deserts with never a famine to follow by	G
The Israelite horde went roaming abroad	H
Like so many sundowners out on the wallaby	I
When Moses who led 'em and taught 'em and fed 'em	B
Was dying he murmured A rorty old hoss you are	J
I give you command of the whole of the band	K
And handed the Government over to Joshua	L
	-
But Moses told 'em before he died	M
Wherever you are whatever betide	M
Every year as the time draws near	N
By lot or by rote choose you a goat	O
And let the high priest confess on the beast	P
The sins of the people the worst and the least	P
Lay your sins on the goat Sure the plan ought to suit yer	Q
Because all your sins are 'his troubles' in future	Q
Then lead him away to the wilderness black	R
To die with the weight of your sins on his back	R
Of thirst let him perish alone and unshriven	S
For thus shall your sins be absolved and forgiven	S
	-
'Tis needless to say though it reeked of barbarity	I
This scapegoat arrangement gained great popularity	I
By this means a Jew whate'er he might do	T
Though he burgled or murdered or cheated at loo	T
Or meat on Good Friday a sin most terrific ate	U
Could get his discharge like a bankrupt's certificate	V
Just here let us note Did they choose their best goat	O
It's food for conjecture to judge from the picture	Q
By Hunt in the Gallery close to our door a	L
Man well might suppose that the scapegoat they chose	W
Was a long way from being their choicest Angora	L
	-
In fact I should think he was one of their weediest	O
'Tis a rule that obtains no matter who reigns	X
When making a sacrifice offer the seediest	O
Which accounts for a theory known to my hearers	Y
Who live in the wild by the wattle beguiled	O
That a stag makes quite good enough mutton for shearers	Y
Be that as it may as each year passed away	Z
a scapegoat was led to the desert and freighted	O
With sin the poor brute must have been overweighted	O
And left there to die as his fancy dictated	O
	-
The day it has come with trumpet and drum	B
With pomp and solemnity fit for the tomb	A2
They lead the old billy goat off to his doom	A2
On every hand a reverend band	O
Prophets and preachers and elders stand	O
And the oldest rabbi with a tear in his eye	G
Delivers a sermon to all standing by	G
We haven't his name whether Cohen or Harris he	I
No doubt was the poisonest kind of Pharisee	Y
The sermon was marked by a deal of humility	I
And pointed the fact with no end of ability	I
That being a Gentile's no mark of gentility	I
And according to Samuel would certainly d n you well	B2
Then shedding his coat he approaches the goat	O
And while a red fillet he carefully pins on him	C2
Confesses the whole of the Israelites' sins on him	C2
With this eloquent burst he exhorts the accurst	O
Go forth in the desert and perish in woe	E
The sins of the people are whiter than snow	E
Then signs to his pal for to let the brute go	E
That pal as I've heard is an elegant word	O
Derived from the Persian Palaykhur or Pallaghur	L
As the scapegoat strains and tugs at the reins	Y
The Rabbi yells rapidly Let her go Gallagher	L
	-
The animal freed from all restraint	O
Lowered his head made a kind of feint	O
And charged straight at that elderly saint	O
So fierce his attack and so very severe it	O
Quite floored the Rabbi who ere he could fly	G
Was rammed on the no not the back but just near it	O
The scapegoat he snorted and wildly cavorted	O
A light hearted antelope out on the ramp	D2
Then stopped looked around got the lay of the ground	O
And made a beeline back again to the camp	D2
The elderly priest as he noticed the beast	O
So gallantly making his way to the east	O
Says he From the tents may I never more roam again	S
If that there old billy goat ain't going home again	S
He's hurrying too This never will do	O
Can't somebody stop him I'm all of a stew	O
After all our confessions so openly granted	O
He's taking our sins back to where they're not wanted	O
We've come all this distance salvation to win agog	E2
If he takes home our sins it'll burst up the Synagogue	F2
	-
He turned to an Acolyte who was making his bacca light	O
A fleet footed youth who could run like a crack o' light	O
Run Abraham run Hunt him over the plain	S
And drive back the brute to the desert again	S
The Sphinx is a watching the Pyramids will frown on you	O
From those granite tops forty cent'ries look down on you	O
Run Abraham run I'll bet half a crown on you	O
So Abraham ran like a man did he go for him	C2
But the goat made it clear each time he drew near	L
That he had what the racing men call too much toe for him	C2
	-
The crowd with great eagerness studied the race	Y
Great Scott isn't Abraham forcing the pace	Y
And don't the goat spiel It is hard to keep sight on him	C2
The sins of the Israelites ride mighty light on him	C2
The scapegoat is leading a furlong or more	L
And Abraham's tiring I'll lay six to four	L
He rolls in his stride he's done there's no question	S
But here the old Rabbi brought up a suggestion	S
'Twas strange that in racing he showed so much cunning	G2
It's a hard race said he and I think it would be	I
A good thing for someone to take up the running	G2
As soon said as done they started to run	S
The priests and the deacons strong runners and weak 'uns	Y
All reckoned ere long to come up with the brute	O
And so the whole boiling set off in pursuit	O
And then it came out as the rabble and rout	O
Streamed over the desert with many a shout	O
The Rabbi so elderly grave and patrician	S
Had been in his youth a bold metallician	S
And offered in gasps as they merrily spieled	O
Any price Abraham Evens the field	O
Alas the whole clan they raced and they ran	S
And Abraham proved him an even time man	S
But the goat now a speck they could scarce keep their eyes on	S
Stretched out in his stride in a style most surprisin'	S
And vanished ere long o'er the distant horizon	S
	-
Away in the camp the bill sticker's tramp	D2
Is heard as he wanders with paste brush and notices	Y
And paling and wall he plasters them all	H2
I wonder how's things gettin' on with the goat he says	Y
The pulls out his bills Use Solomon's Pills	Y
Great Stoning of Christians To all devout Jews you all	H2
Must each bring a stone Great sport will be shown	S
Enormous Attractions And prices as usual	I2
Roll up to the Hall Wives children and all	H2
For naught the most delicate feelings to hurt is meant	O
Here his eyes opened wide for close by his side	O
Was the scapegoat And eating his latest advertisement	O
One shriek from him burst You creature accurst	O
And he ran from the spot like one fearing the worst	O
His language was chaste as he fled in his haste	O
But the goat stayed behind him and scoffed up the paste	O
	-
With downcast head and sorrowful tread	O
The people came back from the desert in dread	O
The goat was he back there Had anyone heard of him	C2
In very short order they got plenty word of him	C2
In fact as they wandered by street lane and hall	H2
The trail of the serpent was over them all	H2
A poor little child knocked out stiff in the gutter	L
Proclaimed that the scapegoat was bred for a butter	L
The bill sticker's pail told a sorrowful tale	J2
The scapegoat had licked it as dry as a nail	J2
He raced through their houses and frightened their spouses	Y
But his latest achievement most anger arouses	Y
For while they were searching and scratching their craniums	Y
One little Ben Ourbed who looked in the flow'r bed	O
Discovered him eating the Rabbi's geraniums	Y
	-
Moral	I2
	-
The moral is patent to all the beholders	Y
Don't shift your own sins on to other folks' shoulders	Y
Be kind to dumb creatures and never abuse them	K2
Nor curse them nor kick them nor spitefully use them	K2
Take their lives if needs must when it comes to the worst	O
But don't let them perish of hunger or thirst	O
Remember no matter how far you may roam	L2
That dogs goats and chickens it's simply the dickens	Y
Their talent stupendous for getting back home	L2
Your sins without doubt will aye find you out	O
And so will a scapegoat he's bound to achieve it	O
But die in the wilderness Don't you believe it	O

Banjo Paterson (andrew Barton)

The Scapegoat Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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