| A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad. 1896. |
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| XXI. In summertime on Bredon |
| | | Bredon 1 Hill |
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| IN summertime on Bredon | |
| The bells they sound so clear; | |
| Round both the shires they ring them | |
| In steeples far and near, | |
| A happy noise to hear. | 5 |
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| Here of a Sunday morning | |
| My love and I would lie, | |
| And see the coloured counties, | |
| And hear the larks so high | |
| About us in the sky. | 10 |
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| The bells would ring to call her | |
| In valleys miles away: | |
| ‘Come all to church, good people; | |
| Good people, come and pray.’ | |
| But here my love would stay. | 15 |
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| And I would turn and answer | |
| Among the springing thyme, | |
| ‘Oh, peal upon our wedding, | |
| And we will hear the chime, | |
| And come to church in time.’ | 20 |
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| But when the snows at Christmas | |
| On Bredon top were strown, | |
| My love rose up so early | |
| And stole out unbeknown | |
| And went to church alone. | 25 |
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| They tolled the one bell only, | |
| Groom there was none to see, | |
| The mourners followed after, | |
| And so to church went she, | |
| And would not wait for me. | 30 |
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| The bells they sound on Bredon, | |
| And still the steeples hum. | |
| ‘Come all to church, good people,’— | |
| Oh, noisy bells, be dumb; | |
I hear you, I will come.
Title Note: Pronounced Breedon. | 35 |
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