Arthur Reed Ropes

Arthur Reed Ropes, also known by the pen name Adrian Ross, was a British poet, lyricist, and playwright. He is best remembered for his contributions to the lyrics of many successful musicals and operettas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Apart from his work in theatre, Ropes was a noted academic and historian, having studied at the University of Cambridge where he later held several academic posts. His blend of literary talent and scholarly acumen made him a distinctive figure in both literary and academic circles.

September 23, 1859

September 10, 1933

English

Arthur Reed Ropes

Lost Pleiad, The

'Twas a pretty little maiden
    In a garden gray and old,
Where the apple trees were laden
    With the magic fruit of gold;
But she strayed beyond the portal
    Of the garden of the Sun,
And she flirted with a mortal,
    Which she oughtn't to have done!
For a giant was her father and a goddess was her mother,
She was Merope or Sterope, the one or else the other;
And the man was not the equal, though presentable and rich,
Of Merope or Sterope, I don't remember which!

    Now the giant's daughters seven,
        She among them, if you please,
    Were translated to the heaven
        As the starry Pleiades!
    But amid their constellation
        One alone was always dark,
    For she shrank from observation
        Or censorious remark...

Arthur Reed Ropes