Father Riley's Horse Poem Rhyme Scheme

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'Twas the horse thief Andy Regan that was hunted like a dog	A
By the troopers of the upper Murray side	B
They had searched in every gully they had looked in every log	A
But never sight or track of him they spied	B
Till the priest at Kiley's Crossing heard a knocking very late	C
And a whisper Father Riley come across	D
So his Rev'rence in pyjamas trotted softly to the gate	C
And admitted Andy Regan and a horse	E
Now it's listen Father Riley to the words I've got to say	F
For it's close upon my death I am tonight	G
With the troopers hard behind me I've been hiding all the day	F
In the gullies keeping close and out of sight	G
But they're watching all the ranges till there's not a bird could fly	H
And I'm fairly worn to pieces with the strife	I
So I'm taking no more trouble but I'm going home to die	H
'Tis the only way I see to save my life	I
	-
Yes I'm making home to mother's and I'll die o' Tuesday next	J
An' be buried on the Thursday and of course	E
I'm prepared to meet my penance but with one thing I'm perplexed	J
And it's Father it's this jewel of a horse	E
He was never bought nor paid for and there's not a man can swear	K
To his owner or his breeder but I know	L
That his sire was by Pedantic from the Old Pretender mare	K
And his dam was close related to The Roe	L
	-
And there's nothing in the district that can race him for a step	M
He could canter while they're going at their top	N
He's the king of all the leppers that was ever seen to lep	M
A five foot fence he'd clear it in a hop	N
So I'll leave him with you Father till the dead shall rise again	O
Tis yourself that knows a good 'un and of course	E
You can say he's got by Moonlight out of Paddy Murphy's plain	P
If you're ever asked the breeding of the horse	E
	-
But it's getting on to daylight and it's time to say goodbye	H
For the stars above the east are growing pale	Q
And I'm making home to mother and it's hard for me to die	H
But it's harder still is keeping out of gaol	Q
You can ride the old horse over to my grave across the dip	R
Where the wattle bloom is waving overhead	S
Sure he'll jump them fences easy you must never raise the whip	R
Or he'll rush 'em now goodbye and he had fled	S
	-
So they buried Andy Regan and they buried him to rights	T
In the graveyard at the back of Kiley's Hill	Q
There were five and twenty mourners who had five and twenty fights	T
Till the very boldest fighters had their fill	Q
There were fifty horses racing from the graveyard to the pub	U
And their riders flogged each other all the while	Q
And the lashin's of the liquor And the lavin's of the grub	U
Oh poor Andy went to rest in proper style	Q
	-
Then the races came to Kiley's with a steeplechase and all	Q
For the folk were mostly Irish round about	V
And it takes an Irish rider to be fearless of a fall	Q
They were training morning in and morning out	V
But they never started training till the sun was on the course	E
For a superstitious story kept 'em back	W
That the ghost of Andy Regan on a slashing chestnut horse	E
Had been training by the starlight on the track	W
	-
And they read the nominations for the races with surprise	X
And amusement at the Father's little joke	Y
For a novice had been entered for the steeplechasing prize	X
And they found it was Father Riley's moke	Y
He was neat enough to gallop he was strong enough to stay	F
But his owner's views of training were immense	Z
For the Reverend Father Riley used to ride him every day	F
And he never saw a hurdle nor a fence	Z
	-
And the priest would join the laughter Oh said he I put him in	A2
For there's five and twenty sovereigns to be won	B2
And the poor would find it useful if the chestnut chanced to win	A2
And he'll maybe win when all is said and done	B2
He had called him Faugh a ballagh which is French for 'Clear the course'	Z
And his colours were a vivid shade of green	C2
All the Dooleys and O'Donnells were on Father Riley's horse	Z
While the Orangemen were backing Mandarin	B2
	-
It was Hogan the dog poisoner aged man and very wise	Z
Who was camping in the racecourse with his swag	Y
And who ventured the opinion to the township's great surprise	Z
That the race would go to Father Riley's nag	Y
You can talk about your riders and the horse has not been schooled	D2
And the fences is terrific and the rest	E2
When the field is fairly going then ye'll see ye've all been fooled	D2
And the chestnut horse will battle with the best	E2
	-
For there's some has got condition and they think the race is sure	F2
And the chestnut horse will fall beneath the weight	C
But the hopes of all the helpless and the prayers of all the poor	G2
Will be running by his side to keep him straight	C
And it's what's the need of schoolin' or of workin' on the track	Y
Whin the saints are there to guide him round the course	Z
I've prayed him over every fence I've prayed him out and back	Y
And I'll bet my cash on Father Riley's horse	Z
	-
	-
	-
Oh the steeple was a caution They went tearin' round and round	H2
And the fences rang and rattled where they struck	Y
There was some that cleared the water there was more fell in and drowned	H2
Some blamed the men and others blamed the luck	Y
But the whips were flying freely when the field came into view	I2
For the finish down the long green stretch of course	Z
And in front of all the flyers jumpin' like a kangaroo	I2
Came the rank outsider Father Riley's horse	Z
	-
Oh the shouting and the cheering as he rattled past the post	J2
For he left the others standing in the straight	C
And the rider well they reckoned it was Andy Regan's ghost	J2
And it beat 'em how a ghost would draw the weight	C
But he weighed in nine stone seven then he laughed and disappeared	K2
Like a banshee which is Spanish for an elf	L2
And old Hogan muttered sagely If it wasn't for the beard	K2
They'd be thinking it was Andy Regan's self	L2
	-
And the poor of Kiley's Crossing drank the health at Christmastide	K2
Of the chestnut and his rider dressed in green	C2
There was never such a rider not since Andy Regan died	K2
And they wondered who on earth he could have been	A2
But they settled it among 'em for the story got about	K2
'Mongst the bushmen and the people on the course	Z
That the Devil had been ordered to let Andy Regan out	K2
For the steeplechase on Father Riley's horse	Z

Banjo Paterson

Father Riley's Horse Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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