The Golden Treasury: Of the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language

English poetry; Songs, English -- Texts

Till that ripe birth
     Of studied Fate stand forth,
     And teach her fair steps to our earth;

     Till that divine
     Idea take a shrine
     Of crystal flesh, through which to shine:

     --Meet you her, my Wishes,
     Bespeak her to my blisses,
     And be ye call'd, my absent kisses.

     I wish her beauty,
     That owes not all its duty
     To gaudy tire, or glist'ring shoe-tie:

     Something more than
     Taffata or tissue can,
     Or rampant feather, or rich fan.

     A face that's best
     By its own beauty drest,
     And can alone command the rest:

     A face made up
     Out of no other shop
     Than what Nature's white hand sets ope.

     Sydneian showers
     Of sweet discourse, whose powers
     Can crown old Winter's head with flowers.

     Whate'er delight
     Can make day's forehead bright
     Or give down to the wings of night.

     Soft silken hours,
     Open suns, shady bowers;
     'Bove all, nothing within that lowers.

     Days, that need borrow
     No part of their good morrow
     From a fore-spent night of sorrow:

     Days, that in spite
     Of darkness, by the light
     Of a clear mind are day all night.

     Life, that dares send
     A challenge to his end,
     And when it comes, say, "Welcome friend."

     I wish her store
     Of worth may leave her poor
     Of wishes; and I wish--no more.

     --Now, if Time knows
     That Her, whose radiant brows
     Weave them a garland of my vows;

     Her that dares be
     What these lines wish to see;
     I seek no further, it is She.

     'Tis She, and here
     Lo! I unclothe and clear
     My wishes' cloudy character.

     Such worth as this is
     Shall fix my flying wishes,
     And determine them to kisses.

     Let her full glory,
     My fancies, fly before ye;
     Be ye my fictions:--but her story.

     R. CRASHAW.




     80. THE GREAT ADVENTURER.

        Over the mountains
        And over the waves,
        Under the fountains
        And under the graves;
        Under floods that are deepest,
        Which Neptune obey;
        Over rocks that are steepest
        Love will find out the way.

        When there is no place
        For the glow-worm to lie;
        When there is no space
        For receipt of a fly;
        When the midge dares not venture
        Lest herself fast she lay;
        If Love come, he will enter
        And will find out his way.

        You may esteem him
        A child for his might;
        Or you may deem him
        A coward from his flight;
        But if she whom love doth honour
        Be conceal'd from the day,
        Set a thousand guards upon her,
        Love will find out the way.

        Some think to lose him
        By having him confined;
        And some do suppose him,
        Poor thing, to be blind;
        But if ne'er so close ye wall him,
        Do the best that you may,
        Blind love, if so ye call him,
        Will find out his way.

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

The Golden Treasury: Of the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language

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