The Tale of King Midas

A lyrical poem about King Midas,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 asleep 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 aside from wealth, his fingers were green

    To he loved to prune and weed and clean -his garden,

 every sort of rose

    He planted there and he 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

 he slept  off the wine in Midas’ Garden

    And  better pray that Midas gives him Pardon

Silenus drunk with his  crowd of friends.

Silenus woke and by guard was brought    Before Midas in the palace court

"What brings you here?" asked the King,

     I would like to know

‘Did you harm any of my roses.?’

     You didn’t !? Then Silenus. Take your pleasure

And dine and drink to double measure !

So Silenus,the lucky, 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 said he'd  been travelling

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 when 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 perhaps  existed only in Silenus’ mind

And since no such place was found by Midas’ men

   They turned his ships

And sailed home again

Silenus loved to loaf around

   All day about the palace grounds

He grew indolent he was so lazy

    He  ate and drank all he could see

He thought” This is the life, great  stuff !

    But by now the king  had had enough !!

By this time  the lord Dionysus

   Was much concerned for his lost friend Silenus

Though not far  need he search or  roam

   For King Midas sent the old man home

And most pleased was the young god-boy

    For Silenus was his favourite friend and joy

So Dionysus conveyed  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 blubbered in despair

   He cursed himself and tore his hair

He could not stand it any more

   So he crawled half dead to Dionysus's  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 carousing

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

The king  listened to what he had to tell

At the source of the river Pactolus

   Near the mount of Tmolus

There 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 say that Midas was so relieved

    That never again did he ever greed

He learned that his greatest treasure was his life

   His good health, his sons and wife

The sands of the river Pactolus some say -  Are golden to this very day