Happy Halloween, everyone! Don’t mind the pumpkins sitting around the bar – and if they make faces, well, just tell them to go sit in the corner. If you want to sample the local flavor, I’d suggest any of our wide variety of Oktoberfest brands – it is the last good day for them, after all.
But who’s that lurking in the shadows? Why, that’s a bard I think – no, wait, it’s the Bard. That’s right, folks, this week the bar’s pulled in William Shakespeare himself to usher in the tricks and treats with, through what is, perhaps, one of the most famously popular poems for Halloween delight: “Song of the Witches”.
The poem is actually a series of lines from the three witches of Shakespeare’s legendary “Macbeth,” but its chorus, as it were, has engrained itself deep into the psyche of western culture…
Watch what you drink.
First Witch
Thrice the brinded Cat hath mew’d.
Second Witch
Thrice and once the Hedge-Pig whined.
Third Witch
Harpier cries: ‘Tis time, ’tis time.
First Witch
Round about the Cauldron go;
In the poison’d Entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and Nights has thirty-one
Swelter’d Venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.
All
Double, double toile and trouble ;
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.
Second Witch
Fillet of a Fenny Snake,
In the Cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of Newt, and Toe of Frogge,
Wool of Bat, and Tongue of Dogge,
Adder’s Fork, and Blind-worm’s Sting,
Lizard’s leg, and Howlet’s wing,
For a Charm of powerful trouble
Like a Hell-broth boil and bubble.
All
Double, double toyle and trouble,
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.
Third Witch
Scale of Dragon, Tooth of Wolf,
Witches’ Mummy, Maw and Gulf
Of the ravin’d salt Sea shark,
Root of Hemlock digg’d i’ the dark,
Liver of Blaspheming Jew,
Gall of Goat, and Slips of Yew
Silver’d in the Moon’s Eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips,
Finger of Birth-strangled Babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a Drab,
Make the Gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a Tiger’s Chaudron,
For the Ingredients of our Cauldron.
All
Double, double toyle and trouble’
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.
Second Witch
Cool it with a Baboon’s blood,
Then the Charm is firm and good.
~William Shakespeare
ha thanks chris for bringing a bit of halloween to the pub.. think we should serve pumpkin soup tonight…?
To be honest, I don’t care for the poem. (Sorry, Chris.) But I do love ths line:
“Silver’d in the Moon’s Eclipse”
Here is my contribution to the Halloween poetry genre:
http://arbitrarymeaning.blogspot.com/2011/10/fragile-takeover.html
I’d love for everyone to share links to their Halloween poems. I know you’ll all be posting them today. 🙂 And we don’t have an official linkup.
You already read my gruesome endeavor Shawna but I’ll link it up anyway.
http://darkangelwrites.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/leaking-thoughts/
What a great idea, Chris. Perfect post for Halloween and a trip back to my (distant) past with Macbeth.
“By the pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes…”
Oh, yes. Read parts of this every year when my daughter was little. The perfect Halloween verse. Thanks!
Wonderful read!
That third witch win’s the nastiest ingredients award!
Thanks Chris for the bewitching tale. Think I will write a ghoulish post for OpenLinkNight tomorrow.
Pumpkin soup sounds delish Claudia ~
Shawna, nice idea. If you can’t wait for OLN, there are halloween themed poems around the bloggerworld (like mine). Happy Halloween ~
Chilling list of ingredients there! It’s put me off my pumpkin soup 🙂
Thanks so much, Chris. You know people talk of Halloween poems and I always get a bit leary because there is so much overkill (ha), but Macbeth (to my mind) and this chorus are perfect choices. Especially here–the chorus is genuinely inspiring to be goony and lyrical.
K.
I loved reading this again. The last production of Macbeth I saw was in the 90s so it was nice to have the refresher! Hope everyone is having a spooky happy hallowe’en! I still have two halloween poems up on both of my blogs. If you have time to stop by, they would love the “trick or treat” visit!
Beachanny’s Texas – http://hollyheir.wordpress.com (The Shade) and
Beachanny By the Sea – http://beachanny.blogspot.com (Samhain)
HAPPY HALLOWE’EN Y’ALL!
I love this bit of fun for Halloween, Chris. I first read Macbeth in high school, and I was fascinated by the whole tale. I have to say it’s been a long, long time since I’ve read it. I remember being so excited to study Shakespeare. I guess that means I was a nerd. I might still be. Happy Halloween!
i will jump on the pumpkin soup bandwagon as i dont think i have ever had it….this def is a flashback to high school for me…back then, i could not stand the Bard and all his dancing words…but he has grown on me…
Happy Halloween everyone ~ x x x Lib
Enjoyed it!
Finger of Birth-strangled Babe
Ditch delivere’d by a Drab
No one can top this. All hail the Bard!
You remind me of all the class notes, and essays we had to submit on Macbeth in high school.
Its a favorite, along with Hamlet, Tempest, As you like it, among others…and ofcourse the lovely verses of Romeo & Juliet.
Good idea, Shawna. My Halloween poem is at http://passionatecrone.blogspot.com/2011/11/31st-october.html
I too enjoyed re-reading this bit of Shakespeare.
How can one not love the duh’-ba duh’-ba of “double, double, toil and trouble!” Nothing stronger and more ominous than a string of strong-weaks! (Okay — mixed meter starting with strong beats can be even stronger — but not part of the language of either Renaissance music or poetry….)
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