>>>>The Passionate Sheperd to His Love
come live with me and be my love,
and we will all the pleasures prove
that valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
woods, or steepy mountains yields.
and we will sit upon the rocks,
seeing the sheperds feed their flocks,
by shallow rivers to whose falls
melodious birds sing madrigals.
and i will make thee beds of roses
and a thousand fragrant posies,
a cap of flowers, and a kirtle
embroidered all with leves of myrtlr;
a gown mad e of the finest wool
which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
with buckles of the purest gold;
a belt of straw and ivy buds,
with coral clasps and amber studs;
and if these pleasures may thee move
come live with me, and be my love.
The sheperds' swains shall dance and sing
for thy delights each May morning:
if these delights thy mind may move,
then live with me and be my love.
>>>>the Nymphs reply to the sheperd
If all the world and love were young,
and truth in every shepherds tongue,
these pretty pleasures might me move,
to live with thee and be thy love
time drives the flocks from field to fold
when rivers rage and rocks grow cold,
and Philomel(nightnigale)becometh dumb;
the rest complains of cares to come
the flowers do fade and wanton fields
to wayward winter reckoning yields;
a honey tongue, a heart of gall,
is facy's spring, but sorrow's fall.
thy gowns, thy shoes, they beds of roses,
thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies
soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten
in folly ripe, in reason rotten.
thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
they coral clasps and amber studs,
all these in me no means can move
to come to thee and be thy love
but could youth and love still breed,
had joys no date nor age no need,
these delights my mind might move
to live with thee and be thy love |