SONNET. ON a day, (alack the day!) Through the velvet leaves the wind All unseen 'gan passage find, That the lover, sick to death, Wish'd himself the heaven's breath. Air (quoth he) thy cheeks may blow; Air, would I might triumph so! But, alack! my hand is sworn Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn. Do not call it sin in me That I am forsworn for thee: Thou, for whom e'en Jove would swear Juno but an Ethiop were; SPRING, A SONG. WHEN daisies pied and violets blue, And cuckoo buds, of yellow hue, Do paint the meadows with delight, The cuckow then on every tree Cuckow! cuckow! O word of fear, When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks, When turtles tread, and rooks and daws, And maidens bleach their summer smocks; The cuckow then on every tree Mocks married men, for thus sings he; Cuckow! cuckow! O word of fear, Unpleasing to a married ear. SONG OF FAIRIES. Now the hungry lion roars, And the wolf behowls the moon, Whilst the heavy ploughman snores, All with weary task foredone. Now the wasted brands do glow; Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud, Puts the wretch that lies in woe In remembrance of a shroud. That the graves, all gaping wide, By the triple Hecat's team, SONG. SIGH no more, ladies, sigh no more; One foot on sea, and one on shore, But let them go, And be you blythe and bonny; Converting all your sounds of woe Into, Hey nonny, nonny. Sing no more ditties, sing no mo, WINTER, A SONG. WHEN icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail; When blood is nipt, and ways be foul, A merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parson's saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marian's nose looks red and raw; When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, A merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot, A SONG ON FANCY, TELL me, where is Fancy bred, It is engender'd in the eyes; In the cradle where it lies. |