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'"'''So, we'll go no more a roving'''" is a [[poem]], written by [[Lord Byron|(George Gordon) Lord Byron]] (1788&ndash;1824), and included in a letter to [[Thomas Moore]] on February 28, 1817. Moore published the poem in [[1830 in poetry|1830]] as part of ''[[Letters and Journals of Lord Byron]]''. It evocatively describes the fatigue of age conquering the restlessness of youth. Byron wrote the poem at the age of twenty-nine. <!-- Published before copyright laws, so why not quote it in full? It's gorgeous --><!-- because text goes in wikiSource --> In the letter to Thomas Moore, the poem is preceded by an account of its genesis. "At present, I am on the invalid regimen myself. The Carnival--that is, the latter part of it, and sitting up late o' nights--had knocked me up a little. But it is over--and it is now Lent, with all its abstinence and sacred music... Though I did not dissipate much upon the whole, yet I find 'the sword wearing out the scabbard,' though I have but just turned the corner of twenty nine." The poem seems to have been suggested in part by the refrain of a Scottish song known as "[[The Jolly Beggar]]." The Jolly Beggar was published in Herd's "Scots Songs" in 1776, 41 years before Byron's letter<!-- Cannot find a definitive reference -->, and goes partially thus: <blockquote> He took the lassie in his arms, and to bed he ran,<br> O hooly, hooly wi' me, Sir, ye'll waken our goodman!<br> And we'll go no more a roving<br> Sae late into the night,<br> And we'll gang nae mair a roving, boys,<br> Let the moon shine ne'er sae bright.<br> And we'll gang nae mair a roving.<br> </blockquote> There is also the traditional sea shanty "The Maid of Amsterdam,"<!-- Again need definitive date of origin, sorry --> which includes verses and chorus such as: <blockquote> She placed her hand upon my knee,<br> Mark well what I do say!<br> She placed her hand upon my knee,<br> I said "Young miss, you're rather free."<br> I'll go no more a roving with you fair maid!<br> A rovin', a rovin',<br> Since rovin's been my ru-i-in,<br> I'll go no more a roving<br> With you fair maid!<br> </blockquote> The poem appears as "Go No More A-Roving" on the 2004 [[Leonard Cohen]] album, ''[[Dear Heather]]''. It has been recorded by Ariella Uliano on her 2009 album 'A.U. (almost) a Compilation'. It was also recorded by [[Joan Baez]] on her 1964 ''[[Joan Baez/5]]'' album, and by [[Mike Westbrook]] on his 1998 ''The Orchestra of Smith's Academy'' album. [[Richard Dyer-Bennet]] recorded his own setting, with slightly altered text, on the 1955 album "Richard Dyer-Bennet 1". The poem is also a centerpiece of "...And The Moon Be Still As Bright" from [[Ray Bradbury]]'s novel, ''[[The Martian Chronicles]]''. The poem also serves as a basis for the chorus of the song "[[The Jolly Beggar]]" as recorded by the traditional Irish band [[Planxty]], as well as the basis for the love leitmotif in [[Patrick Doyle]]'s score for Mary Shelley's [[Frankenstein (1994 film)]], where it is fully-realized in the track, "The Wedding Night". The poem is also featured in John Wyndham's seminal post-holocaust book, 'The Day of the Triffids', where it occurs when a blinded pianist commits suicide. == External links == {{wikisource|So We'll Go No More A-Roving}} * [http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/366.html Annotated poem at the University of Toronto library] {{Byron}} [[Category:Poetry by Lord Byron]] [[Category:1817 poems]] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Triffids'