The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

Name: The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.
Author: Davies, John, Sir

Davies, John, Sir

Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

$E$ ach day of thine, sweet moneth of May,
    $L$ oue makes a solemne holy-day.
    $I$ will performe like duty,
    $S$ ith thou resemblest euery way
    $A$ stræa, Queen of beauty,

    $B$ oth you fresh beauties do pertake,
    $E$ ither's aspect doth Summer make,
    $T$ houghts of young Loue awaking;
    $H$ earts you both doe cause to ake,
    $A$ nd yet be pleas'd with akeing.

    $R$ ight deare art thou, and so is shee,
    $E$ uen like attractiue sympathy,
    $G$ aines vnto both like dearenesse;
    $I$ weene this made Antiquitie
    $N$ ame thee, sweet _May of Maiestie_,
    $A$ s being both like in _clearnesse_.


HYMNE V.

TO THE LARKE.

    $E$ arley, cheerfull, mounting Larke,
    $L$ ight's gentle vsher, Morning's clark,
    $I$ n merry notes delighting;
    $S$ tint awhile thy song, and harke,
    $A$ nd learne my new inditing.

    $B$ eare vp this hymne, to heau'n it beare,
    $E$ uen vp to heau'n, and sing it there,
    $T$ o heau'n each morning beare it;
    $H$ aue it set to some sweet sphere,
    $A$ nd let the Angels heare it.

    $R$ enownd Astræa, that great name,
    $E$ xceeding great in worth and fame,
    $G$ reat worth hath so renownd it;
    $I$ t is Astræa's name I praise,
    $N$ ow then, sweet Larke, do thou it raise,
    $A$ nd in high Heauen resound it.


HYMNE VI.

TO THE NIGHTINGALE.

    $E$ uery night from euen till morne,
    $L$ oue's Quirister amidde the thorne
    $I$ s now so sweet a singer;
    $S$ o sweet, as for her song I scorne
    $A$ pollo's voice, and finger.

    $B$ ut Nightingale, sith you delight
    $E$ uer to watch the starry night;
    $T$ ell all the starres of heauen,
    $H$ eauen neuer had a starre so bright,
    $A$ s now to Earth is giuen.

    $R$ oyall Astræa makes our day
    $E$ ternall with her beames, nor may
    $G$ rosse darknesse ouercome her;
    $I$ now perceiue why some doe write,
    $N$ o countrey hath so short a night,
    $A$ s England hath in Summer.


HYMNE VII.

TO THE ROSE.

    $E$ ye of the Garden, Queene of flowres,
    $L$ ove's cup wherein he nectar powres,
    $I$ ngendered first of nectar;
    $S$ weet nurse-child of the Spring's young howres,
    $A$ nd Beautie's faire character.

    $B$ est iewell that the Earth doth weare,
    $E$ uen when the braue young sunne draws neare,
    $T$ o her hot Loue pretending;[170]
    $H$ imselfe likewise like forme doth beare,
    $A$ t rising and descending.

    $R$ ose of the Queene of Loue belou'd;
    $E$ ngland's great Kings diuinely mou'd,
    $G$ ave Roses in their banner;
    $I$ t shewed that Beautie's Rose indeed,
    $N$ ow in this age should them succeed,
    $A$ nd raigne in more sweet manner.

[Footnote 170: = reaching forward. G.]


HYMNE VIII.

TO ALL THE PRINCES OF EUROPE.

    $E$ urope, the earth's sweet Paradise,
    $L$ et all thy kings that would be wise,
    $I$ n _politique deuotion_;
    $S$ ayle hither to obserue her eyes,
    $A$ nd marke her heaunly motion.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.Davies, John, Sir

General

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

Davies, John, Sir

Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

$E$ ach day of thine, sweet moneth of May,
    $L$ oue makes a solemne holy-day.
    $I$ will performe like duty,
    $S$ ith thou resemblest euery way
    $A$ stræa, Queen of beauty,

    $B$ oth you fresh beauties do pertake,
    $E$ ither's aspect doth Summer make,
    $T$ houghts of young Loue awaking;
    $H$ earts you both doe cause to ake,
    $A$ nd yet be pleas'd with akeing.

    $R$ ight deare art thou, and so is shee,
    $E$ uen like attractiue sympathy,
    $G$ aines vnto both like dearenesse;
    $I$ weene this made Antiquitie
    $N$ ame thee, sweet _May of Maiestie_,
    $A$ s being both like in _clearnesse_.


HYMNE V.

TO THE LARKE.

    $E$ arley, cheerfull, mounting Larke,
    $L$ ight's gentle vsher, Morning's clark,
    $I$ n merry notes delighting;
    $S$ tint awhile thy song, and harke,
    $A$ nd learne my new inditing.

    $B$ eare vp this hymne, to heau'n it beare,
    $E$ uen vp to heau'n, and sing it there,
    $T$ o heau'n each morning beare it;
    $H$ aue it set to some sweet sphere,
    $A$ nd let the Angels heare it.

    $R$ enownd Astræa, that great name,
    $E$ xceeding great in worth and fame,
    $G$ reat worth hath so renownd it;
    $I$ t is Astræa's name I praise,
    $N$ ow then, sweet Larke, do thou it raise,
    $A$ nd in high Heauen resound it.


HYMNE VI.

TO THE NIGHTINGALE.

    $E$ uery night from euen till morne,
    $L$ oue's Quirister amidde the thorne
    $I$ s now so sweet a singer;
    $S$ o sweet, as for her song I scorne
    $A$ pollo's voice, and finger.

    $B$ ut Nightingale, sith you delight
    $E$ uer to watch the starry night;
    $T$ ell all the starres of heauen,
    $H$ eauen neuer had a starre so bright,
    $A$ s now to Earth is giuen.

    $R$ oyall Astræa makes our day
    $E$ ternall with her beames, nor may
    $G$ rosse darknesse ouercome her;
    $I$ now perceiue why some doe write,
    $N$ o countrey hath so short a night,
    $A$ s England hath in Summer.


HYMNE VII.

TO THE ROSE.

    $E$ ye of the Garden, Queene of flowres,
    $L$ ove's cup wherein he nectar powres,
    $I$ ngendered first of nectar;
    $S$ weet nurse-child of the Spring's young howres,
    $A$ nd Beautie's faire character.

    $B$ est iewell that the Earth doth weare,
    $E$ uen when the braue young sunne draws neare,
    $T$ o her hot Loue pretending;[170]
    $H$ imselfe likewise like forme doth beare,
    $A$ t rising and descending.

    $R$ ose of the Queene of Loue belou'd;
    $E$ ngland's great Kings diuinely mou'd,
    $G$ ave Roses in their banner;
    $I$ t shewed that Beautie's Rose indeed,
    $N$ ow in this age should them succeed,
    $A$ nd raigne in more sweet manner.

[Footnote 170: = reaching forward. G.]


HYMNE VIII.

TO ALL THE PRINCES OF EUROPE.

    $E$ urope, the earth's sweet Paradise,
    $L$ et all thy kings that would be wise,
    $I$ n _politique deuotion_;
    $S$ ayle hither to obserue her eyes,
    $A$ nd marke her heaunly motion.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

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