A fool there was and he made his prayer
( Even as you and I! )
To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair
( We called her the woman who did not care ),
But the fool he called her his lady fair
( Even as you and I! )
Oh the years we waste and the tears we waste
And the work of our head and hand,
Belong to the woman who did not know
( And now we know that she never could know )
And did not understand.
A fool there was and his goods he spent
( Even as you and I! )
Honor and faith and a sure intent
But a fool must follow his natural bent
( And it was n't the least what the lady meant ),
( Even as you and I! )
Oh the toil we lost and the spoil we lost
And the excellent things we planned,
Belong to the woman who did n't know why
( And now we know she never knew why )
And did not understand.
The fool we stripped to his foolish hide
( Even as you and I! )
Which she might have seen when she threw him aside —
( But it is n't on record the lady tried )
So some of him lived but the most of him died —
( Even as you and I! )
And it is n't the shame and it is n't the blame
That stings like a white hot brand.
It's coming to know that she never knew why
( Seeing at last she could never know why )
And never could understand.