English Songs and Ballads Part 17

Never harm, Nor spell nor charm, Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good-night, with lullaby.

Weaving Spiders, come not here; Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence!

Beetles black, approach not near; Worm nor snail, do no offence.

Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Never harm, Nor spell nor charm, Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good-night, with lullaby.

SONG

Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart or in the head?

How begot, how nourished?

Reply, reply.

It is engender'd in the eyes, With gazing fed: and fancy dies In the cradle where it lies.

Let us all ring fancy's knell: I'll begin it,--Ding, dong, bell.

Ding, dong, bell.

CHERRY-RIPE

THOMAS CAMPION

There is a garden in her face, Where roses and white lilies grow; A heavenly paradise is that place, Wherein all pleasant fruits do grow; There cherries grow that none may buy Till 'Cherry-ripe' themselves do cry.

Those cherries fairly do enclose Of orient pearl a double row, Which, when her lovely laughter shows, They look like rosebuds fill'd with snow; Yet them no peer nor prince may buy Till 'Cherry-ripe' themselves do cry.

Her eyes like angels watch them still, Her brows like bended bows do stand, Threat'ning with piercing frowns to kill All that approach with eye or hand These sacred cherries to come nigh, Till 'Cherry-ripe' themselves do cry.

LAURA

Rose-cheeked Laura, come; Sing thou smoothly with thy beauty's Silent music, either other Sweetly gracing.

Lovely forms do flow From consent divinely framed; Heaven is music, and thy beauty's Birth is heavenly.

These dull notes we sing Discords need for helps to grace them, Only beauty purely loving Knows no discord, But still moves delight, Like clear springs renewed by flowing, Ever perfect, ever in them- Selves eternal.

COME, CHEERFUL DAY

Come, cheerful day, part of my life to me; For while thou view'st me with thy fading light Part of my life doth still depart with thee, And I still onward haste to my last night: Time's fatal wings do ever forward fly-- So every day we live, a day we die.

But O ye nights, ordain'd for barren rest, How are my days deprived of life in you When heavy sleep my soul hath dispossest, By feigned death life sweetly to renew; Part of my life, in that, you life deny: So every day we live, a day we die.

FOLLOW THY FAIR SUN

Follow thy fair sun, unhappy shadow!

Though thou be black as night And she made all of light, Yet follow thy fair sun, unhappy shadow!

Follow her, whose light thy light depriveth!

Though here thou liv'st disgraced, And she in heaven is placed, Yet follow her whose light the world reviveth!

Follow those pure beams, whose beauty burneth, That so have scorched thee As thou still black must be Till her kind beams thy black to brightness turneth.

Follow her, while yet her glory s.h.i.+neth!

There comes a luckless night That will dim all her light; --And this the black unhappy shade divineth.

Follow still, since so thy fates ordained!

The sun must have his shade, Till both at once do fade,-- The sun still proved, the shadow still disdained.

TO CELIA

BEN JONSON

Drink to me only with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine, Or leave a kiss but in the cup And I'll not look for wine.

The thirst that from the soul doth rise Doth ask a drink divine; But might I of Jove's nectar sup, I would not change for thine.

I sent thee late a rosy wreath, Not so much honouring thee As giving it a hope that there It could not wither'd be; But thou thereon didst only breathe And sent'st it back to me; Since when it grows, and smells, I swear, Not of itself, but thee!

SONG FROM 'CYNTHIA'S REVELS'

Queen and huntress, chaste and fair, Now the sun is laid to sleep, Seated in thy silver chair, State in wonted manner keep.

Hesperus entreats thy light, G.o.ddess excellently bright!

Earth, let not thy envious shade Dare itself to interpose; Cynthia's s.h.i.+ning orb was made Heaven to clear, when day did close.

Bless us then with wished sight, G.o.ddess excellently bright!