An angel was tired of heaven, as he lounged in the golden street;
His halo tilted sideways, and his harp lay unplayed at his feet;
So the Lord reached down in His pity, and gave the angel a pass to go,
For the length of a moon, to the earth-world, to mix with the people below.

He removed his celestial garments, not bothering to lay them straight;
He said goodbye to Peter, who stood by the golden gate;
All the choirs of heaven sang him a fond farewell,
As the demons below looked up from roasting on the red-hot stones in hell.

Never was seen such an angel – eyes of heavenly blue,
With features that shamed Apollo, his hair was a golden hue;
The women simply adored him; his lips were like Cupid’s bow;
But he never once kissed with them – so the ladies decided him slow.

Till at last there came One Woman, a marvel of loveliness,
And she whispered to him: “Do you love me?” And he answered with a quiet, “Yes.”
Then she said: “Put your arms around me, and kiss me, and hold me like so…”
But he fiercely drew back and declared to her: “It is wrong to do this, I know.”

So she sweetly mocked his character, and softly she beguiled:
“You, who are supposedly a man among men, speak with the thoughts of a child.
We have outlived old-fashioned standards; antique principles do not belong.
We no longer need our grandparents outworn traditions of Right and Wrong.”

Then the Lord God feared for His angel, and called him again to His side,
For the tempting woman was beautiful, and the angel was sorely tried.
And there deep in hell chanted Satan, and this was the strain of his song:
“We no longer need your grandparents outworn traditions of Right and Wrong.”