| |
YET once more, O ye Laurels, and once more | |
| Ye Myrtles brown, with Ivy never-sear, | |
| I com to pluck your Berries harsh and crude, | |
| And with forc’d fingers rude, | |
| Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year. | 5 |
| Bitter constraint, and sad occasion dear, | |
| Compels me to disturb your season due: | |
| For Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime! | |
| Young Lycidas, and hath not left his peer: | |
| Who would not sing for Lycidas? he knew | 10 |
| Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme. | |
| He must not flote upon his watry bear | |
| Unwept, and welter to the parching wind, | |
| Without the meed of som melodious tear…. | |
| But O the heavy change, now thou art gon, | 15 |
| Now thou art gon, and never must return! | |
| Thee Shepherd, thee the Woods, and desert Caves, | |
| With wilde Thyme and the gadding Vine o’regrown, | |
| And all their echoes mourn. | |
| The Willows, and the Hazle Copses green, | 20 |
| Shall now no more be seen, | |
| Fanning their joyous Leaves to thy soft layes. | |
| As killing as the Canker to the Rose, | |
| Or Taint-worm to the weanling Herds that graze, | |
| Or Frost to Flowers, that their gay wardrop wear, | 25 |
| When first the White thorn blows; | |
| Such, Lycidas, thy loss to Shepherds ear…. | |
| Weep no more, woful Shepherds weep no more, | |
| For Lycidas your sorrow is not dead, | |
| Sunk though he be beneath the watry floar, | 30 |
| So sinks the day-star in the Ocean bed, | |
| And yet anon repairs his drooping head, | |
| And tricks his beams, and with new spangled Ore, | |
| Flames in the forehead of the morning sky: | |
| So Lycidas sunk low, but mounted high, | 35 |
| Through the dear might of him that walk’d the waves | |
| Where other groves, and other streams along, | |
| With Nectar pure his oozy Lock’s he laves, | |
| And hears the unexpressive nuptiall Song, | |
| In the blest Kingdoms meek of joy and love. | 40 |
| There entertain him all the Saints above, | |
| In solemn troops, and sweet Societies | |
| That sing, and singing in their glory move, | |
| And wipe the tears for ever from his eyes. | |
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