| |
| O WHERE do you go, and what’s your will, | |
| My sunburnt herdsmen of the hill, | |
| That leave your herds no pastoral priest, | |
| And take the road where, sad and dun, | |
| The smoke-cloud drapes the April sun?— | 5 |
| “We go to taste | |
| Of London feast.” | |
| |
| O country-lads, this April tide, | |
| Why do you leave the country-side? | |
| The new-come Spring stirs bird and beast; | 10 |
| The winter storm is over now, | |
| And melted the December snow:— | |
| “We go to taste | |
| Of London feast!” | |
| |
| O village maidens, April girls, | 15 |
| With dancing eyes and country curls, | |
| Is April naught, the maypole ceased, | |
| That you must leave the daisied places | |
| That painted all your pretty faces?— | |
| “We go to taste | 20 |
| Of London feast.” | |
| |
| And ancient dalesmen of the north, | |
| That leave your dales, and the sweet brown earth, | |
| Are country acres so decreased, | |
| And Cumbrian fells no longer ringing | 25 |
| With bleating lambs, and blackbirds singing?— | |
| “We go to taste | |
| Of London feast.” | |
| |
| O sailor lads, that love the sea, | |
| Are you, too, of this company?— | 30 |
| The shifting wind ’s no longer east; | |
| Yet you have put the helm about, | |
| To come ashore, and join the rout?— | |
| “We go to taste | |
| Of London feast.” | 35 |
| |
| Too late, my golden mariners! | |
| I have seen there these many years, | |
| How Most grew more, and less grew Least; | |
| And now you go too late; the board | |
| Cannot one crumb to you afford: | 40 |
| You cannot taste | |
| Of London feast. | |
| |
| Too late, dear children of the sun; | |
| For London Feast is past and gone! | |
| I sat it out, and now released | 45 |
| Make westward from its weary gate. | |
| Fools and unwise, you are too late: | |
| “We go to taste | |
| Of London feast.” | |
| |
| They did not heed, they would not stay; | 50 |
| I saw the dust on London way | |
| By denser thousands still increased: | |
| My cry was vain. As they went by | |
| Their murmur ran, for all reply:— | |
| “We go to taste | 55 |
| Of London feast.” | |
| |
