(10)
Tell me ye merchants' daughters did ye see
So fair a creature in your town before?
So sweet, so lovely, and so mild as she,
170Adorned with beauty's grace and virtue's store,
Her goodly eyes like sapphires shining bright,
Her forehead ivory white,
Her cheeks like apples which the sun hath rudded,
Her lips like cherries charming men to bite,
175Her breast like to a bowl of cream uncrudded,
Her paps like lilies budded,
Her snowy neck like to a marble tower,
And all her body like a palace fair,
Ascending up with many a stately stair,
180To honour's seat and chastity's sweet bower.
Why stand ye still ye virgins in a maze,
Upon her so to gaze,
Whiles ye forget your former lay to sing,
To which the woods did answer and your echo ring?
(11)
185 But if ye saw that which no eyes can see,
The inward beauty of her lively sprite,
Garnished with heavenly gifts of high degree,
Much more then would ye wonder at that sight,
And stand astonished like to those which read
190 Medusa's mazeful head.
There dwells sweet love and constant chastity,
Unspotted faith and comely womanhood,
Regard of honour and mild modesty,
There virtue reigns as queen in royal throne,
195 And giveth laws alone.
The which the base affections do obey,
And yield their services unto her will,
Ne thought of thing uncomely ever may
Thereto approach to tempt her mind to ill.
200 Had ye once seen these her celestial treasures,
And unrevealèd pleasures,
Then would ye wonder and her praises sing,
That all the woods should answer and your echo ring.
(12)
Open the temple gates unto my love,
205Open them wide that she may enter in,
And all the posts adorn as doth behove,
And all the pillars deck with garlands trim,
For to receive this Saint with honour due,
That cometh in to you.
210With trembling steps and humble reverence,
She cometh in, before th'almighty's view:
Of her ye virgins learn obedience,
When so ye come into those holy places,
To humble your proud faces;
215Bring her up to th'high altar, that she may
The sacred ceremonies there partake,
The which do endless matrimony make,
And let the roaring organs loudly play
220The praises of the Lord in lively notes,
The whiles with hollow throats
The choristers the joyous anthem sing,
That all the woods may answer and their echo ring.
(13)
Behold whiles she before the altar stands
Hearing the holy priest that to her speaks
225 And blesses her with his two happy hands,
How the red roses flush up in her cheeks,
And the pure snow with goodly vermeil stain,
Like crimson dyed in grain,
That even th'angels which continually,
230 About the sacred altar do remain,
Forget their service and about her fly,
Oft peeping in her face that seems more fair,
The more they on it stare.
But her sad eyes still fastened on the ground,
235 Are governed with goodly modesty,
That suffers not one look to glance awry,
Which may let in a little thought unsound.
Why blush ye love to give to me your hand,
The pledge of all our band?
240 Sing ye sweet angels, Alleluia sing,
That all the woods may answer and your echo ring.
(14)
Now all is done; bring home the bride again,
Bring home the triumph of our victory,
Bring home with you the glory of her gain,
245 With joyance bring her and with jollity.
Never had man more joyful day than this,
Whom heaven would heap with bliss.
Make feast therefore now all this livelong day,
This day forever to me holy is,
250 Pour out the wine without restraint or stay,
Pour not by cups, but by the belly-fu1,
Pour out to all that will,
And sprinkle all the posts and walls with wine,
That they may sweat, and drunken be withal.
255 Crown ye god Bacchus with a coronal,
And Hymen also crown with wreaths of vine,
And let the Graces dance unto the rest;
For they can do it best:
The whiles the maidens do their carol sing,
260 To which the woods shall answer and their echo rlng.
(15)
Ring ye the bells, ye young men of the town,
And leave your wonted labours for this day:
This day is holy; do ye write it down,
That ye forever it remember may.
265This day the sun is in his chiefest height,
With Barnaby the bright,
From whence declining daily by degrees,
He somewhat loses of his heat and light,
When once the Crab behind his back he sees.
270But for this time it ill-ordainèd was,
To choose the longest day in all the year,
And shortest night, when longest fitter were:
Yet never day so long, but late would pass.
Ring ye the bells, to make it wear away,
275And bonfires make all day,
And dance about them, and about them sing:
That all the woods may answer, and your echo ring.
(16)
Ah when will this long weary day have end,
And lend me leave to come unto my love?
280How slowly do the hours their numbers spend?
How slowly does sad Time his feathers move?
Haste thee O fairest Planet to thy home
Within the western foam:
Thy tired steeds long since have need of rest.
285 Long though it be, at last I see it gloom,
And the bright evening star with golden crest
Appear out of the east.
Fair child of beauty, glorious lamp of love
That all the host of heaven in ranks dost lead,
290 And guidest lovers through the nightes dread,
How cheerfully thou lookest from above,
And seemst to laugh atween thy twinkling light
As joying in the sight
Of these glad many which for joy do sing,
That all the woods them answer and their echo ring.
(17)
Now cease ye damsels your delights forepast;
Enough is it, that all the day was yours:
Now day is done, and night is nighing fast:
Now bring the bride into the bridal bowers.
300 Now night is come, now soon her disarray,
And in her bed her lay;
Lay her in 1ilies and in violets,
And silken curtains over her display,
And odoured sheets, and Arras coverlets.
305 Behold how goodly my fair love does lie
In proud humility;
Like unto Maia, whenas Jove her took,
In Tempe, lying on the flowery grass,
'Twixt sleep and wake, after she weary was,
310 With bathing in the Acidalian brook.
Now it is night, ye damsels may be gone,
And leave my love alone,
And leave likewise your former lay to sing:
The woods no more shall answer, nor your echo ring.
(18)
315 Now welcome night, thou night so long expected,
That long days' labour dost at last defray,
And all my cares, which cruel love collected,
Hast summed in one, and cancellèd for ay:
Spread thy broad wing over my love and me,
320 That no man may us see,
And in thy sable mantle us enwrap,
From fear of peril and foul horror free.
Let no false treason seek us to entrap,
Nor any dread disquiet once annoy
325 The safety of our joy:
But let the night be calm and quietsome,
Without tempestuous storms or sad affray:
Likeas when Jove with fair Alcmena lay,
When he begot the great Tirynthian groom:
330 Or like as when he with thyself did lie,
And begot Majesty.
And let the maids and young men cease to sing:
Ne let the woods them answer, nor their echo ring.
(19)
Let no lamenting cries, nor doleful tears,
335 Be heard all night within nor yet without:
Ne let false whispers breeding hidden fears,
Break gentle sleep with misconceivèd doubt.
Let no deluding dreams, nor dreadful sights
Make sudden sad affrights;
340 Ne let housefires, nor lightning's helpless harms,
Ne let the Puck, nor other evil sprites,
Ne let mischievous witches with their charms,
Ne let hobgoblins, names whose sense we see not,
Fray us with things that be not.
345 Let not the screech-owl, nor the stork be heard:
Nor the night-raven that still deadly yells,
Nor damnèd ghosts called up with mighty spells,
Nor grisly vultures make us once afeard:
Ne let th'unpleasant choir of frogs still croaking
350 Make us to wish their choking.
Let none of these their dreary accents sing;
Ne let the woods them answer, nor their echo ring･
(20)
But let still Silence true nigh-watches keep,
That sacred peace may in assurance reign,
355 And timely sleep, when it is time to sleep,
May pour his limbs forth on your pleasant plain,
The whiles an hundred little wingèd loves,
Like divers feathered doves,
Shal1fly and flutter round about your bed,
360 And in the secret dark, that none reproves,
Their pretty stealths shall work, and snares shall spread
To filch away sweet snatches of delight,
Concealed through covert night.
Ye sons of Venus, play your sports at will,
For greedy pleasure, careless of your toys,
Thinks more upon her paradise of joys,
365 Than what ye do, albeit good or ill.
All night therefore attend your merry play,
For it will soon be day:
Now none doth hinder you, that say or sing,
Ne will the woods now answer, nor your Echo ring.
(21)
Who is the same, which at my window peeps?
Or whose is that fair face, that shines so bright?
Is it not
Cynthia, she that never sleeps,
375 But walks about high heaven all the night?
O fairest goddess, do thou not envy
My love with me to spy:
For thou likewise didst love, though now unthought,
And for a fleece of wool, which privily,
380 The Latmian shepherd once unto thee brought,
His pleasures with thee wrought.
Therefore to us be favourable now;
And sith of women's labours thou hast charge,
And generation goodly dost enlarge,
385 Incline thy will t'effect our wishful vow,
And the chaste womb inform with timely seed,
That may our comfort breed:
Till which we cease our hopeful hap to sing,
Ne let the woods us answer, nor our Echo ring.
(22)
390 And thou great Juno, which with awful might
The laws of wedlock still dost patronize,
And the religion of the faith first plight
With sacred rites hast taught to solemnize:
And eke for comfort often callèd art
395 Of women in their smart,
Eternally bind thou this lovely band,
And all thy blessings unto us impart.
And thou glad Genius, in whose gentle hand,
The bridal bower and genial bed remain,
400 Without blemish or stain,
And the sweet pleasures of their love's delight
With secret aid dost succour and supply,
Till they bring forth the fruitful progeny,
Send us the timely fruit of this same night.
405 And thou fair Hebe, and thou Hymen free,
Grant that it may so be.
Till which we cease your further praise to sing,
Ne any woods shall answer, nor your Echo ring.
(23)
And ye high heavens, the temple of the gods,
410 In which a thousand torches flaming bright
Do burn, that to us wretched earthly clods,
In dreadful darkness lend desirèd light;
And all ye powers which in the same remain,
More than we men can feign,
415 Pour out your blessing on us plenteously,
And happy influence upon us rain,
That we may raise a large posterity,
Which from the earth, which they may long possess,
With lasting happiness,
420 Up to your haughty palaces may mount,
And for the guerdon of their glorious merit
May heavenly tabernacles there inherit,
Of blessed saints for to increase the count.
So let us rest, sweet love, in hope of this,
425 And cease till then our timely joys to sing,
The woods no more us answer, nor our echo ring.
(24)
Song made in lieu of many ornaments,
With which my love should duly have been decked,
Which cutting off through hasty accidents,
430 Ye would not stay your due time to expect,
But promised both to recompense,
Be unto her a goodly ornament,
And for short time an endless monument.
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