Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. II. The Seventeenth Century: Ben Jonson to Dryden

Thomas Carew (1595?–1639?)

A Pastoral Dialogue

Shepherd.Nymph.Chorus.

Shep.This mossy bank they pressed.Nym.That aged oak

Did canopy the happy pair

All night from the damp air.

Cho.Here let us sit, and sing the words they spoke,

Till the day, breaking, their embraces broke.

Shep.See, Love, the blushes of the morn appear,

And now she hangs her pearly store,

Robbed from the eastern shore,

In the cowslip’s bell and roses rare;

Sweet, I must stay no longer here!

Nym.Those streaks of doubtful light usher not day,

But show my sun must set; no morn

Shall shine till thou return;

The yellow planets and the grey

Dawn shall attend thee on thy way.

Shep.If thine eyes gild my paths, they may forbear

Their useless shine.Nym.My tears will quite

Extinguish their faint light.

Shep.Those drops will make their beams more clear,

Love’s flames will shine in every tear.

Cho.They kissed and wept, and from their lips and eyes,

In a mixed dew, of briny sweet

Their joys and sorrows meet;

But she cries out.Nym.Shepherd, arise,

The sun betrays us else to spies.

Shep.The winged hours fly fast whilst we embrace,

But when we want their help to meet,

They move with leaden feet.

Nym.Then let us pinion time, and chase

The day forever from this place.

Shep.Hark!Nym.Ay me! stay!Shep.Forever:Nym.No! arise!

We must be gone!Shep.My nest of spice!

Nym.My soul!Shep.My Paradise!

Cho.Neither could say farewell, but through their eyes

Grief interrupted speech with tears’ supplies.