The Pickpocket’s Chaunt

The Pickpocket’s Chaunt
1829
By W. MAGINN: being a translation of Vidocq’s song, “En roulant de vergne en vergne”.

I

As from ken to ken I was going, 1 shop; house
  Doing a bit on the prigging lay, 2 thieving
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen, 3 girl, strumpet, sweetheart
      Tol lol, lol lol, tol dirol lay;
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,
  Who was fly to the time of day. 4 ’cute in business

II

Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,
  Who was fly to the time of day,
I pattered in flash like a covey knowing, 5 spoke in slang
      Tol, lol, etc.
‘Ay, bub or grubby, I say?’ 6 drink and food

III

I pattered in flash like a covey knowing,
  ‘Ay, bub or grubby, I say?’
‘Lots of gatter,’ says she, is flowing 7 porter, beer
    Tol lol, etc.
Lend me a lift in the family way. 8 family = fraternity of thieves

IV

Lots of gatter, says she, is flowing
  Lend me a lift in the family way.
You may have a crib to stow in.
    Tol lol, etc.
Welcome, my pal, as the flowers in May.

V

You may have a crib to stow in,
  Welcome, my pal, as the flowers in May.
To her ken at once I go in
    Tol lol, etc.
Where in a corner out of the way,

VI

To her ken at once I go in.
  Where in a corner out of the way
With his smeller a trumpet blowing 9 nose
    Tol lol, etc.
A regular swell cove lushy lay. 10 gentleman; drunk


VII

With his smeller a trumpet blowing
  A regular swell cove lushy lay,
To his clies my hooks I throw in 11 pockets; fingers
      Tol lol, etc.
And collar his dragons clear away. 12 take his sovereigns

VIII

To his clies my hooks I throw in,
  And collar his dragons clear away
Then his ticker I set agoing, 13 watch
      Tol lol, etc.
And his onions, chain, and key. 14 seals

IX

  Then his ticker I set a going
And his onions, chain, and key
  Next slipt off his bottom clo’ing,
      Tol lol, etc.
And his ginger head topper gay. 15 hat

X

  Next slipt off his bottom clo’ing
And his ginger head topper gay.
  Then his other toggery stowing, 16 clothes
      Tol lol, etc.
All with the swag I sneak away. 17 plunder

XI

  Then his other toggery stowing
All with the swag I sneak away.
  Tramp it, tramp it, my jolly blowen,
      Tol lol, etc.
Or be grabbed by the beaks we may. 18 taken; police

XII

  Tramp it, tramp it, my jolly blowen
Or be grabbed by the beaks we may.
  And we shall caper a-heel and toeing,
      Tol lol, etc.
A Newgate hornpipe some fine day. 19 hanging

XIII

  And we shall caper a-heel and toeing
A Newgate hornpipe some fine day
  With the mots their ogles throwing 20 girl’s; eyes
      Tol lol, etc.
And old Cotton humming his pray. 21 Notes

XIV

  With the mots their ogles throwing
And old Cotton humming his pray,
  And the fogle hunters doing
      Tol lol, etc.
Their morning fake in the prigging lay.





Taken from Musa Pedestris, Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536―1896], collected and annotated by John S. Farmer.

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Nearby

Overview
Forewords
. . .
The Night Before Larry was Stretched
The Song of the Young Prig
The Milling Match
Ya-Hip, My Hearties!
Sonnets For The Fancy: After The Manner Of Petrarch
The True Bottom’d Boxer
Bobby And His Mary
Flashey Joe
My Mugging Maid
Poor Luddy
The Pickpocket’s Chaunt
On the Prigging Lay
The Lag’s Lament
Nix My Doll, Pals, Fake Away
The Game Of High Toby
The Double Cross
The Thieves’ Chaunt
The House Breaker’s Song
The Faking Boy To The Crap Is Gone
The Nutty Blowen
The Faker’s New Toast
. . .
Appendix