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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  205. Matin Song

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

Thomas Heywood. 157?–1650

205. Matin Song

PACK, clouds, away! and welcome, day! 
  With night we banish sorrow. 
Sweet air, blow soft; mount, lark, aloft 
  To give my Love good-morrow! 
Wings from the wind to please her mind,         5
  Notes from the lark I’ll borrow: 
Bird, prune thy wing! nightingale, sing! 
  To give my Love good-morrow! 
      To give my Love good-morrow 
      Notes from them all I’ll borrow.  10
 
Wake from thy nest, robin red-breast! 
  Sing, birds, in every furrow! 
And from each bill let music shrill 
  Give my fair Love good-morrow! 
Blackbird and thrush in every bush,  15
  Stare, linnet, and cocksparrow, 
You pretty elves, among yourselves 
  Sing my fair Love good-morrow! 
      To give my Love good-morrow! 
      Sing, birds, in every furrow!  20
 
GLOSS:  stare] starling.