Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne
Henry Constable (15621613)A Pastoral Song
Phillis.
Heigh ho silly sleights:
When simple maids they would entice,
Maids are young men’s chief delights.
Eyes like beams of burning sun:
And men once caught, they soon despise;
So are shepherds oft undone.
Happy man is he:
By trusting him she is betrayed;
Fie upon such treachery.
Heigh ho guileful grief;
They deal like weeping crocodiles,
That murder men without relief.
Heigh ho silly swain:
To whom fair Daphne proved kind,
Was he not kind to her again?
He vowed by Pan with many an oath,
Heigh ho shepherds God is he:
Yet since hath changed, and broke his troth,
Troth-plight broke will plagued be.
Fie on false deceit:
And plighted troth to them in vain,
There can be no grief more great.
Her measure was with measure paid,
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho equal meed:
She was beguil’d that had betrayed,
So shall all deceivers speed.
Heigh-ho hard of heart:
Both love and lovers scorn’d should be,
Scorners shall be sure of smart.
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho lovely sweet:
They to their lovers should prove kind,
Kindness is for maidens meet.
Heigh-ho busy pain:
Both wit and sense it doth annoy,
Both sense and wit thereby we gain.
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, coy disdain:
I know you love a shepherd’s boy,
Fie! that maidens so should feign!
Shepherds, pipe aloud:
Love conquers both in town and field,
Like a tyrant, fierce and proud.
Vesper shines; we must away;
Would every lover might agree,
So we end our roundelay.