English Songs and Ballads Part 16

He was a wight of high renown, And thou art but of low degree: 'Tis pride that pulls the country down; Then take thine auld cloak about thee.

DOUBT NOT

Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love.

ARIEL

Where the bee sucks, there lurk I; In a cowslip's bell I lie; There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat's back I do fly After summer merrily.

Merrily, merrily shall I live now Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

SIGH NO MORE, LADIES

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more; Men were deceivers ever; One foot in sea, and one on sh.o.r.e; To one thing constant never; Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny; Converting all your sounds of woe Into, Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo Of dumps so dull and heavy; The fraud of men was ever so, Since summer first was leavy, Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny; Converting all your sounds of woe, Into, Hey nonny, nonny.

THE SWEET O' THE YEAR

When daffodils begin to peer, With heigh! the doxy over the dale, Why, then comes in the sweet o' the year; For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.

The white sheet bleaching on the hedge, With heigh! the sweet birds, O, how they sing!

Doth set my pugging tooth on edge; For a quart of ale is a dish for a king.

The lark, that tirra-lyra chants, With heigh! with heigh! the thrush and the jay, Are summer songs for me and my aunts, While we lie tumbling in the hay.

But shall I go mourn for that, my dear?

The pale moon s.h.i.+nes by night: And when I wander here and there, I then do most go right.

If tinkers may have leave to live, And bear the sow-skin budget, Then my account I well may give, And in the stocks avouch it.

HARK! HARK! THE LARK!

(CLOTEN'S SONG)

Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings, And Phoebus 'gins arise, His steeds to water at those springs, On chalic'd flowers that lies;

And winking Mary-buds begin To ope their golden eyes; With every thing that pretty bin; My lady sweet, arise.

OVER HILL, OVER DALE

Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire, I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere; And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be: In their gold coats spots you see; Those be rubies, fairy favours, In those freckles live their savours; I must go seek some dewdrops here, And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

ONE IN TEN

Was this fair face the cause, quoth she, Why the Grecians sacked Troy?

Fond done, done fond, Was this King Priam's joy?

With that she sighed as she stood, With that she sighed as she stood, And gave this sentence then; Among nine bad if one be good, Among nine bad if one be good, There's yet one good in ten.

PUCK

Now the hungry lion roars, And the wolf behowls the moon; Whilst the heavy ploughman snores, All with weary task fordone.

Now the wasted brands do glow, While the screech-owl, screeching loud, Puts the wretch, that lies in woe, In remembrance of a shroud.

Now it is the time of night That the graves, all gaping wide, Every one lets forth his sprite, In the church-way paths to glide; And we fairies, that do run By the triple Hecate's team, From the presence of the sun, Following darkness like a dream, Now are frolic; not a mouse Shall disturb this hallow'd house: I am sent with broom before, To sweep the dust behind the door.

Through the house give glimmering light, By the dead and drowsy fire: Every elf and fairy sprite Hop as light as bird from brier; And this ditty, after me, Sing, and dance it trippingly.

First, rehea.r.s.e your song by rote, To each word a warbling note: Hand in hand, with fairy grace, Will we sing, and bless this place.

LULLABY

You spotted snakes with double tongue, Th.o.r.n.y hedgehogs, be not seen; Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong, Come not near our fairy queen.

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