Tripping the Lights Fantastic

 I never was sure what "trip the lights fantastic" meant....
 
  but I was pretty sure we'd DONE it after last night was over!
 We attended a party at a restaurant whose prices would prohibit
our day-to-day patronage.
 It really WAS a winter wonderland--
 both inside and out!
 
 Only this morning did I learn that John Milton is credited with originating the phrase.
 In the masque Comus, 1637, he wrote the lines:


Come, knit hands, and beat the ground,
In a light fantastic round.

 Who knew?

and in L'Allegro... 
Sport that wrinkled Care derives,
And Laughter holding both his sides.
Come, and trip it as you go 
On the light fantastic toe.
To trip the lights fantastic means 
~to dance nimbly or lightly~
And we did!
From beginning to end.

♪ East side, west side,
All around the town,
The tots sang "Ring-a-Rosie,"
"London Bridge is Falling Down."
Boys and girls together,
Me and Mamie O'Rourke,
Tripped the light fantastic,
On the sidewalks of New York. ♪

4 comments:

  1. I've never heard the phrase, but I understand its beauty after seeing your photographs, Rebecca.
    Just lovely....

    ReplyDelete
  2. That looks like so much fun!! I am so glad you the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful place.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I had never heard the phrase, but this looks like a great place to try it out! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great little song.....we listened to it often when the kids were little!

    ReplyDelete

Writing a Song a Week #3

Writing a Song a Week #3
♪ I wait for the Lord; my soul waits and in his word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning ♪ (Psalm 130:5-6)