Two new Beagle pups being christened over a punch bowl
I learned this song as a child and sang it at a concert in 1953 when I was eleven years old. My love of the song was rekindled when I first met my old friend the huntsman Bob Auty - see Hunters and their Songs.
The song 'Drink, Puppy, Drink' was written by the Scottish sportsman, soldier and novelist George John Whyte-Melville who was born at St. Andrews, Scotland in 1821 where his father was Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
He became a popular writer, publishing 28 works mainly sporting novels with a hunting theme. He also wrote the occasional historical romance and also published volumes of his poetry. One of his short poems has the immortal opening line, ‘To eat, drink, and be merry, because tomorrow we die’ and the saying is attributed to him. He died in 1878 whilst hunting, when he fell off his horse as he galloped across a ploughed field.
Reference: Wikipedia.
Hunting scene, 1906
Painting by Edward Algernon Stuart Douglas
Drink, Puppy, Drink
Here's a health unto the fox in the earth below the rocks
And here's to the line that we follow,
And here's to the hound with his nose pressed to the ground,
And merrily we whoop and we holloa!
Chorus:
So drink, puppy, drink, let every puppy drink,
That’s old enough to lap and to swallow;
For he'll grow into a hound, and we'll pass the bottle 'round,
And merrily we'll whoop and we'll holloa.
Here's to the horse and to the rider too, of course,
And here's to the rally o' the hunt, boys;
Here's a health to every friend, who can struggle to the end,
And here's to the Tally-ho in front, boys.
Here's to the gap and the timber that we crack,
Here's to the white thorn, and the black, too;
And here's to the pace that puts life into the chase,
And the fence that gives a moment to the pack, too.
Oh! The pack is staunch and true, now they run from scent to view,
And it's worth the risk to life and limb and neck, boys;
To see them drive and stoop till they finish with 'Who-whoop',
Forty minutes on the grass without a check, boys.