Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Robert Herrick. 15911674268. The Mad Maid’s Song
GOOD-MORROW to the day so fair, | |
Good-morning, sir, to you; | |
Good-morrow to mine own torn hair | |
Bedabbled with the dew. | |
Good-morning to this primrose too, | 5 |
Good-morrow to each maid | |
That will with flowers the tomb bestrew | |
Wherein my love is laid. | |
Ah! woe is me, woe, woe is me! | |
Alack and well-a-day! | 10 |
For pity, sir, find out that bee | |
Which bore my love away. | |
I’ll seek him in your bonnet brave, | |
I’ll seek him in your eyes; | |
Nay, now I think they’ve made his grave | 15 |
I’ th’ bed of strawberries. | |
I’ll seek him there; I know ere this | |
The cold, cold earth doth shake him; | |
But I will go, or send a kiss | |
By you, sir, to awake him. | 20 |
Pray hurt him not; though he be dead, | |
He knows well who do love him, | |
And who with green turfs rear his head, | |
And who do rudely move him. | |
He ‘s soft and tender (pray take heed); | 25 |
With bands of cowslips bind him, | |
And bring him home—but ’tis decreed | |
That I shall never find him! |