Blacksmithing poems

[JHCC]

On IFI's discussion boards,

Many blacksmiths help each other towards,

Some new skills to master,

And how to work faster;

And the newbies all want to make swords!

[Frosty]

Speaking of a patient curmudgeon

with his oily soft bowie

Thomas cries no joy

  it's as soft as a bludgeon

 

[Lou L]

Rhyming with curmudgeon would lead to a lot of bludgeoning...so I'll go with a haiku:

 

Angry rant on IFI

Always the same dumb questions

I'm a curmudgeon

1 minute ago, Frosty said:

Speaking of a patient curmudgeon

with his oily soft bowie

Thomas cries no joy

  it's as soft as a bludgeon

 

I predicted bludgeon!  Yay me!

[JHCC]

A well-known IFI curmudgeon,

Sat working himself to high dudgeon,

For while breaking from smithing,

He took himself fishing,

And instead of a trout, caught a gudgeon. 

3 minutes ago, Lou L said:

Angry rant on IFI

Always the same dumb questions

I'm a curmudgeon

Nice. I'll see your haiku and raise you a koan:

A monk asked Master Joshu, "Does a smith have Buddha Nature?"

Joshu replied, "W-1."

[Lou L]

11 minutes ago, JHCC said:

A well-known IFI curmudgeon,

Sat working himself to high dudgeon,

For while breaking from smithing,

He took himself fishing,

And instead of a trout, caught a gudgeon. 

Nice. I'll see your haiku and raise you a koan:

A monk asked Master Joshu, "Does a smith have Buddha Nature?"

Joshu replied, "W-1."

I swear I was thinking about doing a zen koan!  Yours was just awesome.  I had a great laugh.  It felt like I was reading one of the sutras.

[Frosty]

Oxymoronic haiku

harder to write than limericks

now it's koans he moans

 

[ThomasPowers]

At Limericks I once was a smash

till my noggin it took quite a bash

now words run away or oft go astray

I best go back to making some cash

[Lou L]

If you two keep this up we will be able to publish a book of curmudgeonly poetry!

[C-1ToolSteel]

9 hours ago, Tubalcain2 said:

TubalCain2 once had a sister

Who disliked his blacksmithing blisters

But on I-Forge-Iron

There's less dangerous fire

So..shoot he's coming, better shish her!

Dassa

 

He draws and he shoots fast as lightning 

To Sister it seems rather fright'ning

But at the computer

In need of a tutor

He makes Sister do all the typing!

[Mark Ling]

So, another one related to hammer making- My second try, not really sure that this is a limerick. Not happy with how the ending doesn't flow nice.

After you fuller the cheeks, and drift the eye

It's time to start upsetting the round die

grab the cupping tool

(it may not be cool)

swing, and really try

                                                                                                                            Littleblacksmith

Pretty sure this isn't a limerick, but just a little rhyme-

Blacksmithing Gems and Pearls,

Had no advice about girls

So little Johnny asked his parents,

Their reply was: stop eating ants,

and putting them in her pants,

and please, Learn to dance!

                                                                                                                         Littleblacksmith

[JHCC]

29 minutes ago, notownkid said:

I can't write limericks but did drive at Limerock once (that is a race track in NW CT for those from out of town) does that count. 

A Vermonter blacksmith from NoTown,

Took his trotters and pacers to go down

To Limerock races

And put through their paces

All whose gauntlets in challenge were thrown down. 

29 minutes ago, notownkid said:

I'm sure you are right but when I moved into a new shop they came along so must be attached to the tools,  best thing to do is give me all your tools and make new ones and I will deal with the Gremlins.  Smile!

A coworker of mine in the art restoration studio developed what we called "the Farrell Principle": that the longer and harder you looked for something missing, the greater the chance that you will spot it yourself immediately after asking someone else if they'd seen it. 

[duckkiller]

For school we have to read poems I wanted to see if anyone here has I any blacksmithing  poems or good poems I can read in class thanks

[JHCC]

"The Village Blacksmith" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) used to be a school standard:

Under a spreading chestnut tree     
  The village smithy stands;     
The smith, a mighty man is he,     
  With large and sinewy hands;     
And the muscles of his brawny arms             
  Are strong as iron bands.     
  
His hair is crisp, and black, and long,     
  His face is like the tan;     
His brow is wet with honest sweat,     
  He earns whate'er he can,      
And looks the whole world in the face,     
  For he owes not any man.     
  
Week in, week out, from morn till night,     
  You can hear his bellows blow;     
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge      
  With measured beat and slow,     
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,     
  When the evening sun is low.     
  
And children coming home from school     
  Look in at the open door;      
They love to see the flaming forge,     
  And hear the bellows roar,     
And watch the burning sparks that fly     
  Like chaff from a threshing-floor.     
  
He goes on Sunday to the church,      
  And sits among his boys;     
He hears the parson pray and preach,     
  He hears his daughter's voice,     
Singing in the village choir,     
  And it makes his heart rejoice.      
  
It sounds to him like her mother's voice,     
  Singing in Paradise!     
He needs must think of her once more,     
  How in the grave she lies;     
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes      
  A tear out of his eyes.     
  
Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing,     
  Onward through life he goes;     
Each morning sees some task begin,     
  Each evening sees it close;      
Something attempted, something done,     
  Has earned a night's repose.     
  
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,     
  For the lesson thou hast taught!     
Thus at the flaming forge of life     
  Our fortunes must be wrought;     
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped     
  Each burning deed and thought!

Also, see the anonymous 15th century alliterative poem "The Blacksmiths" discussed in this link:

The Blacksmiths

Swarte-smeked smethes, smattered with smoke,
Drive me to deth with den of here dintes:
Swich nois on nightes ne herd men never,
What knavene cry and clattering of knockes!
The cammede kongons cryen after 'Col! Col!'
And blowen here bellewes that all here brain brestes.
'Huf, puf,' saith that on, 'Haf, paf,' that other.
They spitten and sprawlen and spellen many spelles,
They gnawen and gnacchen, they groan togedire,
And holden hem hote with here hard hamers.
Of a bole hide ben here barm-felles,
Here shankes ben shackeled for the fere-flunderes.
Hevy hameres they han that hard ben handled,
Stark strokes they striken on a steled stock.
'Lus, bus, las, das,' rowten by rowe.
Swiche dolful a dreme the Devil it todrive!
The maistre longeth a litil and lasheth a lesse,
Twineth hem twein and toucheth a treble.
'Tik, tak, hic, hac, tiket, taket, tik, tak,
Lus, bus, las, das.' Swich lif they leden,
Alle clothemeres, Christ hem give sorwe!
May no man for brenwateres on night han his rest.

[MrDarkNebulah]

Cold Iron by Rudyard Kipling

Gold is for the mistress -- silver for the maid --
Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade."
"Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of them all."

So he made rebellion 'gainst the King his liege,
Camped before his citadel and summoned it to siege.
"Nay!" said the cannoneer on the castle wall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- shall be master of you all!"

Woe for the Baron and his knights so strong,
When the cruel cannon-balls laid 'em all along;
He was taken prisoner, he was cast in thrall,
And Iron -- Cold Iron -- was master of it all!

Yet his King spake kindly (ah, how kind a Lord!)
"What if I release thee now and give thee back thy sword?"
"Nay!" said the Baron, "mock not at my fall,
For Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of men all."

"Tears are for the craven, prayers are for the clown --
Halters for the silly neck that cannot keep a crown."
"As my loss is grievous, so my hope is small,
For Iron -- Cold Iron -- must be master of men all!"

Yet his King made answer (few such Kings there be!)
"Here is Bread and here is Wine -- sit and sup with me.
Eat and drink in Mary's Name, the whiles I do recall
How Iron -- Cold Iron -- can be master of men all!"

He took the Wine and blessed it. He blessed and brake the Bread.
With His own Hands He served Them, and presently He said:
"See! These Hands they pierced with nails, outside My city wall,
Show Iron -- Cold Iron -- to be master of men all."

"Wounds are for the desperate, blows are for the strong.
Balm and oil for weary hearts all cut and bruised with wrong.
I forgive thy treason -- I redeem thy fall --
For Iron -- Cold Iron -- must be master of men all!"

"Crowns are for the valiant -- sceptres for the bold!
Thrones and powers for mighty men who dare to take and hold!"
"Nay!" said the Baron, kneeling in his hall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of men all!
Iron out of Calvary is master of men all!"

[ThomasPowers]

JHCC, Gies and Gies attribute that poem to the 14th century in "Cathedral Forge and Waterwheel"---which fits the language better in my opinion.  More like "The Canterbury Tales" middle english.

As much as I love Kipling; Cold Iron is NOT a blacksmithing poem.

Unfortunately "The Lusty Young Smith", a traditional english folksong, is probably not appropriate for your school---or this venue! "17th century English song first appearing in Thomas D'Urfey's 'Wit and Mirth: Pills to Purge Melancholy' in 1698"

"A lusty young smith at his vice stood a-filing. His hammer laid by but his forge still aglow. ... "

[duckkiller]

MrDarkNebulah What I think is funny we have to do a presentation on the poem Danny deever written by Rudyard Kipling

[ThomasPowers]

"A Pict song" is a great one to file a large blade to, especially sitting around a campfire....

[JHCC]

A young newbie blacksmith from Grant,

Sought poems on smithing to chant,

But he asked the wrong forum,

And the curmudgeons' quorum

United in a blistering rant! 

[turbo7]

The anvil she is a funny thing

Her secerets not to tell

Bid you wear her out with hammer and hot steel

Than you shall know her well.

[Mark Ling]

I'm working on one, as in English class we are having to do poems. Its more about working with your hands, but does include blacksmithing.

                                                                                                                         Littleblacksmith

[C-1ToolSteel]

4 minutes ago, littleblacksmith said:

I'm working on one, as in English class we are having to do poems. Its more about working with your hands, but does include blacksmithing.

                                                                                                                         

I've been blessed with low -maintenance hands, so i get more time for smithing.

[Kevin Olson]

Hey JHCC. That blacksmith poem In old English is amazing. Hard to believe people talked like that. It makes no sense and sounds like jibberish. Kinda like Shakespeare. Studying your link is like a  college English course.  When I read the poem I can see different languages coming together to become English. Thanks for posting it. 

[JHCC]

I'm lucky: I had a class on Chaucer when I was in college, and I still remember what Professor Longsworth taught us about how it was pronounced.

[ThomasPowers]

Ahhh that's middle english; old english is more like Beowulf:

HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, 
þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, 
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! 
oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, 
monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, 
egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð
feasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah,
oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde, 
gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning! 
Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned 
geong in geardum, þone God sende 
folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat, 
þe hie ær drugon aldorlease 
lange hwile; him þæs Liffrea, 
wuldres Wealdend woroldare forgeaf, 
Beowulf wæs breme --- blæd wide sprang--- 
Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. 
Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean, 
fromum feohgiftumon fæder bearme,

 

[JHCC]

6 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Ahhh that's middle english; old english is more like Beowulf

Yeah, I was going to say something about that, but decided to leave it to our resident medievalist.