Sonnet

Beautiful streamlet by my dwelling side,
I love thy shining sands, thy banks of grass;
I love to see thy silver water pass,
Hurrying beneath the willow boughs to hide.
Thy nursing springs are in the forest shade,
Moss-bank and rock, brown trunk and ancient tree,
Woodbirds and wild flowers are thy company,
Until thou glitterest in the open glade.
Thou wert my playmate in my early days;
I built cascades and tiny bridges then;
Now thoughtfully on thy green banks I gaze,
And thy bright current, gushing through its glen,

Drop by Drop

Drop by drop and drip by drip, rain on the winding banks,
Pair by pair and one by one, mandarin ducks chatter.
Lush, lush, the fragrance of wild flowers,
Soft, soft, the yellow of the golden willow-threads
Lovely, lovely, the girls on the river,
Two by two, dancers beside the stream
Bright, bright, the gleam of silk and gauze robes,
Dainty, dainty, the adornments of cloud hair and cosmetics.

To the Right Honorable, William, Earle of Morton

With amor first my riddle plaine to make,
I meane interpreting some paines to take,
Let the beginning put be to the end,
Looke on it then, you'le find it no mans friend;
Invert the letters, reade it backewards, then
O famous City it will be agen,
Make it two sillables, and then you'le see

Most rightly shewed Sir, what now you be,
Or , it is gold and am doth you denote,
Rightly will time you for the true gold coate:
Time well will note delaies of other men,
On what your love is set, time shewes againe,

Those Far-Off Fields

Those far-off fields, how fair they seem,
As soft through mists of years they gleam!
We never now around us see
Such meads as those of olden be;
We never find a lake or stream
One half so lovely as we deem
Those which we only view in dream,
Watering the fields of memory—
Those far-off fields!

And we were happy then! The theme
Of our existence, love supreme:
And looking back on Fate's decree—
On all that happened you and me—
We sigh—for dear our souls esteem
Those far-off fields!

O sea-gulls that are crying

O sea-gulls that are crying
On Sao river
How is it that,
Loving the river-beach,
You go further up the river?

(Answer)
To men indeed
We would say in general
" Our so much
Beloved river-beach
Do not snare with nets!"
(Then we will stay there).

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