| CALM was the day, and through the trembling air | |
| Sweet-breathing Zephyrus did softly play— | |
| A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay | |
| Hot Titan's beams, which then did glister fair; | |
| When I, (whom sullen care, | 5 |
| Through discontent of my long fruitless stay | |
| In princes' court, and expectation vain | |
| Of idle hopes, which still do fly away | |
| Like empty shadows, did afflict my brain,) | |
| Walk'd forth to ease my pain | 10 |
| Along the shore of silver-streaming Thames, | |
| Whose rutty bank, the which his river hems, | |
| Was painted all with variable flowers, | |
| And all the meads adorn'd with dainty gems | |
| Fit to deck maidens' bowers, | 15 |
| And crown their paramours | |
| Against the bridal day, which is not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | |
| |
| There in a meadow by the river's side | |
| A flock of nymphs I chancèd to espy, | 20 |
| All lovely daughters of the flood thereby, | |
| With goodly greenish locks all loose untied | |
| As each had been a bride; | |
| And each one had a little wicker basket | |
| Made of fine twigs, entrailèd curiously. | 25 |
| In which they gather'd flowers to fill their flasket, | |
| And with fine fingers cropt full feateously | |
| The tender stalks on high. | |
| Of every sort which in that meadow grew | |
| They gather'd some—the violet, pallid blue, | 30 |
| The little daisy that at evening closes, | |
| The virgin lily and the primrose true, | |
| With store of vermeil roses, | |
| To deck their bridegrooms' posies | |
| Against the bridal day, which was not long: | 35 |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | |
| |
| With that I saw two swans of goodly hue | |
| Come softly swimming down along the Lee: | |
| Two fairer birds I yet did never see; | |
| The snow which doth the top of Pindus strow | 40 |
| Did never whiter show, | |
| Nor Jove himself, when he a swan would be | |
| For love of Leda, whiter did appear; | |
| Yet Leda was (they say) as white as he, | |
| Yet not so white as these, nor nothing near; | 45 |
| So purely white they were | |
| That even the gentle stream, the which them bare? | |
| Seem'd foul to them, and bade his billows spare | |
| To wet their silken feathers, lest they might | |
| Soil their fair plumes with water not so fair, | 50 |
| And mar their beauties bright | |
| That shone as Heaven's light | |
| Against their bridal day, which was not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | |
| |
| Eftsoons the nymphs, which now had flowers their fill? | 55 |
| Ran all in haste to see that silver brood | |
| As they came floating on the crystal flood; | |
| Whom when they saw, they stood amazèd still | |
| Their wondering eyes to fill; | |
| Them seem'd they never saw a sight so fair | 60 |
| Of fowls, so lovely, that they sure did deem | |
| Them heavenly born, or to be that same pair | |
| Which through the sky draw Venus' silver team; | |
| For sure they did not seem | |
| To be begot of any earthly seed, | 65 |
| But rather Angels, or of Angels' breed; | |
| Yet were they bred of summer's heat, they say, | |
| In sweetest season, when each flower and weed | |
| The earth did fresh array; | |
| So fresh they seem'd as day, | 70 |
| Ev'n as their bridal day, which was not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | |
| |
| Then forth they all out of their baskets drew | |
| Great store of flowers, the honour of the field, | |
| That to the sense did fragrant odours yield, | 75 |
| All which upon those goodly birds they threw | |
| And all the waves did strew, | |
| That like old Peneus' waters they did seem | |
| When down along by pleasant Tempe's shore | |
| Scatter'd with flowers, through Thessaly they stream, | 80 |
| That they appear, through lilies' plenteous store, | |
| Like a bride's chamber-floor. | |
| Two of those nymphs meanwhile two garlands bound | |
| Of freshest flowers which in that mead they found, | |
| The which presenting all in trim array, | 85 |
| Their snowy foreheads therewithal they crown'd; | |
| Whilst one did sing this lay | |
| Prepared against that day, | |
| Against their bridal day, which was not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | 90 |
| |
| "Ye gentle birds! the world's fair ornament, | |
| And heaven's glory, whom this happy hour | |
| Doth lead unto your lovers' blissful bower, | |
| Joy may you have, and gentle heart's content | |
| Of your love's couplement; | 95 |
| And let fair Venus, that is queen of love, | |
| With her heart-quelling son upon you smile, | |
| Whose smile, they say, hath virtue to remove | |
| All love's dislike, and friendship's faulty guile | |
| For ever to assoil. | 100 |
| Let endless peace your steadfast hearts accord, | |
| And blessed plenty wait upon your board; | |
| And let your bed with pleasures chaste abound, | |
| That fruitful issue may to you afford | |
| Which may your foes confound, | 105 |
| And make your joys redound | |
| Upon your bridal day, which is not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song." | |
| |
| So ended she; and all the rest around | |
| To her redoubled that her undersong, | 110 |
| Which said their bridal day should not be long; | |
| And gentle Echo from the neighbour ground | |
| Their accents did resound. | |
| So forth those joyous birds did pass along | |
| Adown the Lee that to them murmur'd low, | 115 |
| As he would speak but that he lack'd a tongue; | |
| Yet did by signs his glad affection show, | |
| Making his stream run slow. | |
| And all the fowl which in his flood did dwell | |
| 'Gan flock about these twain, that did excel | 120 |
| The rest, so far as Cynthia doth shend | |
| The lesser stars. So they, enrangèd well, | |
| Did on those two attend, | |
| And their best service lend | |
| Against their wedding day, which was not long: | 125 |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | |
| |
| At length they all to merry London came, | |
| To merry London, my most kindly nurse, | |
| That to me gave this life's first native source, | |
| Though from another place I take my name, | 130 |
| An house of ancient fame: | |
| There when they came whereas those bricky towers | |
| The which on Thames' broad aged back do ride, | |
| Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers, | |
| There whilome wont the Templar-knights to bide, | 135 |
| Till they decay'd through pride; | |
| Next whereunto there stands a stately place, | |
| Where oft I gainèd gifts and goodly grace | |
| Of that great lord, which therein wont to dwell, | |
| Whose want too well now feels my friendless case: | 140 |
| But ah! here fits not well | |
| Old woes, but joys to tell | |
| Against the bridal day, which is not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | |
| |
| Yet therein now doth lodge a noble peer, | 145 |
| Great England's glory and the world's wide wonder, | |
| Whose dreadful name late through all Spain did thunder, | |
| And Hercules' two pillars standing near | |
| Did make to quake and fear: | |
| Fair branch of honour, flower of chivalry! | 150 |
| That fillest England with thy triumphs' fame | |
| Joy have thou of thy noble victory, | |
| And endless happiness of thine own name | |
| That promiseth the same; | |
| That through thy prowess and victorious arms | 155 |
| Thy country may be freed from foreign harms, | |
| And great Elisa's glorious name may ring | |
| Through all the world, fill'd with thy wide alarms, | |
| Which some brave Muse may sing | |
| To ages following: | 160 |
| Upon the bridal day, which is not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | |
| |
| From those high towers this noble lord issúing | |
| Like radiant Hesper, when his golden hair | |
| In th' ocean billows he hath bathèd fair, | 165 |
| Descended to the river's open viewing | |
| With a great train ensuing. | |
| Above the rest were goodly to be seen | |
| Two gentle knights of lovely face and feature, | |
| Beseeming well the bower of any queen, | 170 |
| With gifts of wit and ornaments of nature, | |
| Fit for so goodly stature, | |
| That like the twins of Jove they seem'd in sight | |
| Which deck the baldric of the heavens bright; | |
| They two, forth pacing to the river's side, | 175 |
| Received those two fair brides, their love's delight; | |
| Which, at th' appointed tide, | |
| Each one did make his bride | |
| Against their bridal day, which is not long: | |
| Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song. | 180 |
| |
