dots-menu
×

Home  »  The English Poets  »  Extracts from Poems in Divers Humors: An Ode: ‘As it fell upon a day’

Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne

Richard Barnfield (1574–1627)

Extracts from Poems in Divers Humors: An Ode: ‘As it fell upon a day’

AS it fell upon a day

In the merry month of May,

Sitting in a pleasant shade

Which a grove of myrtles made,

Beasts did leap, and birds did sing,

Trees did grow, and plants did spring;

Everything did banish moan,

Save the nightingale alone:

She, poor bird, as all forlorn,

Lean’d her breast up-till a thorn,

And there sung the dolefull’st ditty,

That to hear it was great pity:

‘Fie, fie, fie,’ now would she cry;

‘Teru, teru!’ by and by;

That to hear her so complain,

Scarce I could from tears refrain;

For her griefs, so lively shown,

Made me think upon mine own.

Ah, thought I, thou mourn’st in vain!

None takes pity on thy pain:

Senseless trees they cannot hear thee;

Ruthless beasts they will not cheer thee:

King Pandion he is dead;

All thy friends are lapp’d in lead;

All thy fellow birds do sing,

Careless of thy sorrowing.

[Even so, poor bird, like thee,

None alive will pity me.]

Whilst as fickle Fortune smiled,

Thou and I were both beguiled.

Every one that flatters thee

Is no friend in misery.

Words are easy, like the wind;

Faithful friends are hard to find:

Every man will be thy friend

Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend;

But if store of crowns be scant,

No man will supply thy want.

If that one be prodigal,

Bountiful they will him call,

And with such-like flattering,

‘Pity but he were a king;’

If he be addict to vice,

Quickly him they will entice;

If to women he be bent,

They have at commandement:

But if Fortune once do frown,

Then farewell his great renown;

They that fawn’d on him before

Use his company no more.

He that is thy friend indeed,

He will help thee in thy need:

If thou sorrow, he will weep;

If thou wake, he cannot sleep;

Thus of every grief in heart

He with thee doth bear a part.

These are certain signs to know

Faithful friend from flattering foe.