Collegia – Ode 6: The Training

YOU must come call me early, call me early, knocker-up;
Tomorrow’ll be the earliest morn that over I’ve been up
Of all the past half-year, my man, the earliest, coldest day;
For I’m to be trained for the fray, you see, I’m to be trained
for the fray.

There’s many a quick, quick foot, they say, but none as quick as mine:
There’s liniment and lotion, there’s grease and Vaseline:
But none so quick as little me in all the Coll. they say,
So I’m to be trained for the fray, you see, I’m to be trained
for the fray.

I sleep so sound, O Knocker-up, that I shall never wake
If you don’t rat-tat loudly when the day begins to break,
And I must get in hours and hours of sprints and runs all day,
For I’m to be trained for the fray, you see, I’m to be trained
for the fray.

As I came in the quad there whom think ye I should see,
But old Briggs, leaning ‘gainst the wall; he sternly looked at me:
He thought of the poor run, old man, I gave him yesterday –
Still I’m to be trained for the fray, you know, I’m to be trained
for the fray.

He liked me to a ghost, I think, for I was all in white,
I ran by him sans speaking, just like a flash of light;
They all may call me faint of heart, but I care not what they say,
For I’m to be trained for the fray, you see, I’m to be trained
for the fray.

Jim Webber will go with me tomorrow round the Square,
And you’ll be round as well perhaps to see me race the hare:
The College lads of every year will come and go away,
And I’m to be trained for the fray, you know, I’m to be trained
for the fray.

The water’ll be in puddles and the ground be cold and wet,
The morning air’ll be very damp, and chilly be the street,
And the early carts will rattle as I pass them on my way –
For I’m to be trained for the fray, you see, I’m to be trained
for the fray.

The night-winds strong are blowing upon my window-pane,
And the merry stars are blotted out by mist and driving rain,
But there’ll not be a drop of rain on all tomorrow’s day,
When I will be seen at the fray, my boys, when I will be seen
at the fray.

All the slackers, the Knocker-up, ‘ll be lying snug and warm,
But the workers ‘ll be running to improve their sprinting form,
And my feet in rubber shoes will merrily trot their way,
When I will be trained for the fray, ah me, when I will be trained
for the fray.

So you must come and call me early, call me early, Knocker-up,
Tomorrow ‘ll be the earliest morn that ever I’ve been up,
Of all the past half-year, my boy, the earliest coldest day:
And I’m terribly keen for the fray, you know, I’m terribly keen
for the fray.

5. 11. 1927