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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  174. Winter Nights

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Thomas Campion. 1567?–1619

174. Winter Nights

NOW winter nights enlarge 
      The number of their hours, 
    And clouds their storms discharge 
      Upon the airy towers. 
    Let now the chimneys blaze         5
      And cups o’erflow with wine; 
    Let well-tuned words amaze 
      With harmony divine. 
    Now yellow waxen lights 
      Shall wait on honey love,  10
While youthful revels, masques, and courtly sights 
      Sleep’s leaden spells remove. 
 
    This time doth well dispense 
      With lovers’ long discourse; 
    Much speech hath some defence,  15
      Though beauty no remorse. 
    All do not all things well; 
      Some measures comely tread, 
    Some knotted riddles tell, 
      Some poems smoothly read.  20
    The summer hath his joys, 
      And winter his delights; 
Though love and all his pleasures are but toys, 
      They shorten tedious nights.