صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[graphic][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

263

A WIDOW BIRD

A WIDOW bird sat mourning for her love
Upon a wintry bough;

The frozen wind crept on above,
The freezing stream below.

There was no leaf upon the forest bare,

No flower upon the ground,

And little motion in the air

Except the mill-wheel's sound.

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

264

ECHO'S LAMENT FOR NARCISSUS

SLOW, Slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt tears;
Yet, slower yet; O faintly, gentle springs;

List to the heavy part the music bears;

Woe weeps out her division when she sings.
Droop herbs and flowers;

Fall grief in showers,

Our beauties are not ours;

O, I could still,

Like melting snow upon some craggy hill,

Drop, drop, drop, drop,

Since nature's pride is now a withered daffodil.

265

BEN JONSON

THIS LIFE

THIS Life, which seems so fair,
Is like a bubble blown up in the air
By sporting children's breath,

Who chase it everywhere,

And strive who can most motion it bequeath.
And though it sometimes seem of its own might

Like to an eye of gold to be fixed there,
And firm to hover in that empty height,

266

That only is because it is so light.

But in that pomp it doth not long appear;
For when 'tis most admirèd-in a thought,
Because it erst 1
was nought, it turns to nought.

WILLIAM DRUMMOND

SWEET CONTENT

ART thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers?
O, sweet content!

Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplexed?
O, punishment!

Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vexed
To add to golden numbers golden numbers?
O, sweet content! O, sweet, O sweet content!

Work apace, apace, apace, apace;
Honest labour bears a lovely face;
Then hey nonny, hey nonny, nonny!

Canst drink the waters of the crispèd spring?
O, sweet content!

Swimm'st thou in wealth, yet sink'st in thine own tears?
O, punishment!

Then he that patiently want's burden bears,
No burden bears, but is a king, a king!
O, sweet content! O, sweet, O, sweet content!

Work apace, apace, apace, apace;
Honest labour bears a lovely face;
Then hey nonny, hey nonny, nonny!

THOMAS DEKKER

267

OH, SWEET CONTENT

OH, sweet content, that turns the labourer's sweat
To tears of joy, and shines the roughest face;

1 Once

« السابقةمتابعة »