And little did he hope, while night by night "Ah, well-a-day! how long must I endure "This pining pain? or who shall speed my cure? 20 "Fond love no cure will have, seeks no repose, "Delights in grief, nor any measure knows. "And now the moon begins in clouds to rise, "The bright'ning stars increase within the skies, "The winds are hush, the dews distil, and sleep "Hath clos'd the eyelids of my weary sheep; "I only with the prowling wolf constrain'd "All night to wake: with hunger he is pain'd, "And I with love. His hunger he may tame, "But who can quench, O cruel Love! thy flame? 30 "Whilom did I, all as this poplar fair, 66 Upraise my heedless head, then void of care, "'Mong rustic routs the chief for wanton game, "Nor could they merry make till Lobbin came, "Who better seen than I in shepherds' arts, "To please the lads and win the lasses' hearts? "How deftly, to mine oaten reed so sweet, "Wont they upon the green to shift their feet? "And weary'd in the dance, how would they yearn "Some well-devised tale from me to learn? 40 "For many songs and tales of mirth had I "To chase the loit'ring sun adown the sky : "But ah! since Lucy coy deep-wrought her spite.< "The jolly grooms I fly, and all alone "To rocks and woods pour forth my fruitless moan. "Oh quit thy wonted scorn, relentless Fair! "Ere ling'ring long I perish through despair. "Had Rosalind been mistress of my mind, "Though not so fair, she would have prov'd more kind. "O think, unwitting Maid! while yet is time, Si "How flying years impair thy youthful prime; 68 Thy virgin bloom will not for ever stay, "And flow'rs, tho' left ungather'd, will decay.: "The flow'rs anew returning seasons bring, "But beauty faded has no second spring. "My words are wind. She, deaf to all my cries) "Takes pleasure in the mischief of her eyes: "Like frisking heifer loose in flow'ry meads, "She gads where'er her roving fancy leads, "Yet still from me. Ah me, the tiresome chase! Shy as the fawn she flies my fond embrace : "She flies indeed, but ever leaves behind, "Fly where she will, her likeness in my mind. "No cruel purpose in my speed I bear; 72160 "'Tis only love; and love why shouldst thou fear? "What idle fears a maiden breast alarm!·· Stay, simple Girl! a lover cannot harm. "Two sportive kidlings, both fair fleck'd, I rear, "Whose shooting horns like tender buds appear; 70: "A lambkin too of spotless fleece I breed, " And little did he hope, while night by night "Ah, well-a-day! how long must I endure "This pining pain? or who shall speed my cure? 20 "Fond love no cure will have, seeks no repose, "Delights in grief, nor any measure knows. "And now the moon begins in clouds to rise, "The bright'ning stars increase within the skies, "The winds are hush, the dews distil, and sleep "Hath clos'd the eyelids of my weary sheep; "I only with the prowling wolf constrain'd "All night to wake: with hunger he is pain'd, "And I with love. His hunger he may tame, "But who can quench, O'cruel Love! thy flame? 30 "Whilom did I, all as this poplar fair, "Upraise my heedless head, then void of care, "'Mong rastic routs the chief for wanton game, "Nor could they merry make till Lobbin came. "Who better seen than I in shepherds' arts, "To please the lads and win the lasses' hearts? "How deftly, to mine oaten reed so sweet, "Wont they upon the green to shift their feet? "And weary'd in the dance, how would they yearn "Some well-devised tale from me to learn? 40 "For many songs and tales of mirth had I "To chase the loit'ring sun adown the sky : "But ah! since Lucy coy deep-wrought her spite "The jolly grooms I fly, and all alone "To rocks and woods pour forth my fruitless moan. "Oh quit thy wonted scorn, relentless Fair!. "Ere ling'ring long I perish through despair. "Had Rosalind been mistress of my mind, "Though not so fair, she would have prov'd more kind. "O think, unwitting Maid! while yet is time, si "How flying years impair thy youthful prime; "Thy virgin bloom will not for ever stay, "And flow'rs, tho' left ungather'd, will decay:.: "The flow'rs anew returning seasons bring, "But beauty faded has no second spring. "My words are wind. She, deaf to all my cries; "Takes pleasure in the mischief of her eyes: "Like frisking heifer loose in flow'ry meads, "She gads where'er her roving fancy leads, "Yet still from me. Ah me, the tiresome chase! "Shy as the fawn she flies my fond embrace: "She flies indeed, but ever leaves behind, Fly where she will, her likeness in my mind. "No cruel purpose in my speed I bear; "'Tis only love; and love why shouldst thou fear? "What idle fears a maiden breast alarm! "Stay, simple Girl! a lover cannot harm. "Two sportive kidlings, both fair fleck'd, I rear, "Whose shooting horns like tender buds appear; 70: "A lambkin too of spotless fleece I breed, Nor will I cease betimes to cull the fields "And now, "The choice of wildings blushing thro' the rind! "For glossy plums how lightsome climb the tree, "How risk the vengeance of the thrifty bee! "Or if thou deign to live a shepherdess, 80 "Thou Lobbin's flock and Lobbin shalt possess: go "And fair my flock, nor yet uncomely I, "If liquid fountains flatter not: and why "Should liquid fountains flatter us, yet show [grow? "The bord'ring flow'rs less beauteous than they "O come, my Love! nor think th' employment mean "The dams to milk and little lambkins wean, "To drive afield by morn the fatt'ning ewes "Ere the warm sun drink up the coolly dews, "While with my pipe and with my voice I cheer |