The Tale of King Midas

a lyrical poem about King Midas, and how everything he touched turned to Gold and how he learned not to be greedy.

This is the tale of an ancient king Who loved all thing that pleasure brings Who as a babe at sleep in bed A trail of ants marched to his lips and fed The young prince as he lay asleep With the choicest grains of wheat Midas grew and gathered wealth With which he might enjoy himself But more than wealth, his fingers were green To he loved to prune and weed and clean His garden, every sort of rose He planted there and watched them grow One day the old satyr Silenus The teacher and friend of young Dionysus Had straggled, drunken, from the crowd And staggering lost and singing aloud Then he sleepy off the wine in Midas’ Garden (he better pray that Midas gives him Pardon) Silenus woke and by guard was brought Before Midas in the palace court What brings you here, I would like to know ‘Did you harm any of my roses.?’ You didn’t !? Silenus. Take your pleasure And dine and drink to double measure So Silenus,the old fun loving Satyr Grew steadily more drunk and fatter All merrily the old soul chaffed King Midas who with him laughed And when both had ate and drank their sate Silenus did this tale relate And he told a story to the king Of lands where he’d been wandering (perhaps yarns spun from his dreams) of lands beyond the oceans stream peopled by folk of long life and health with very vast amounts of wealth Now Midas listened good and well To all silenus had to tell And wehen the story Came to end He said please do point the way my friend For though Midas had more wealth than he would ever Need He was overcome by greed So he sent ships and many men To sail the hyperborean With eager brave intent to find A land that existed only in Silenus’ mind And since no such place was found by Midas’ men They turned the fleet And sailed home again Silenus loved to loaf around All day about the palace grounds He grew indolent and quite lazy And ate and drank all he could see He thought” This is the life, Good stuff ! But by now the king had had enough By now the lord Dionysus Was much concerned for his lost friend Silenus Thjough not far need he search or roam For Midas sent the old man home And most pleased was the young god-boy For Silenus was his favourite friend and joy SoDionysus sent his gratitude to the king Does Lord Midas require anything For the Lord Dionysus will grant Anything the king may want And so the messenger was told May all that Midas touch be turned to gold And all that Midas touched upon Turned to gold and brightly shone Midas’table and his throne And all the contents of his home And soon he had turned everyone To gold Even his wife and sons All this wealth it brought no good For Midas could not drink nor eat his food Not a morsel could be ate But all turned to gold upon his plate Golden fruits and golden meat Golden wine and golden wheat And so the days they did pass by And a very hungered king did cry That he did not want No he could not stand His golden stores of treasure grand for he was hungry,thirsty, weak and dry And not a morsel could that treasure buy The poor king Midas he did sigh If he did not eat he soon would die Alone he blubberd in despair He cursed himself and tore his hair He could not stand it any more So he crawled half dead to Dionysus door So thirsty, famished, very thin Midas begged Dionysus to release him From the blessing that had become his curse For what fate could be any worse Midas begged, he cried implored That life be restored As it were before The god he drank Deeply perusing He found the matter quire amusing But although he laughed at Midas suffering He had some compassion for the king He said “ I hope you have learned your lesson well Midas listened to what he had to tell At the source of the river Pactolus Near the mount of Tmolus Ther you may drink and wash yourself And be restored to natural health And all your golden treasures stored Shall all become as they were before So Midas journeyed west to seek The water spring near the mountains peak His thirst was as a burning flame But travelling onward soon he came Upon the mountain When he saw it’s water He broke down and cried with tears and laughter They asy that Midas was so relieved That never again did he ever greed He learned that his greatest treasure was his life His health, his sons and wife The sands of the river’Pactolus” some say Are golden to this very day