Pearl Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABABABBCBC DEDEDEDEECEC FGFGFGFGGCGC HIHIHIHIIHIH HHHHHHHHHHHH JKJKJKJKKHLH HMHMHMHMMHMH BNBOBNBNNHNH HHHHHHHHHHHH PHPHPHPHHHHH QIQIQIQIIBIB RHRHRHRHHBHB BHBHBHBHHBHB SHSHJHJHHBHB HHHHHHHHHBHB TNTNTNTNNHNH HHHHHHHHHHBPearl of delight that a prince doth please | A |
To grace in gold enclosed so clear | B |
I vow that from over orient seas | A |
Never proved I any in price her peer | B |
So round so radiant ranged by these | A |
So fine so smooth did her sides appear | B |
That ever in judging gems that please | A |
Her only alone I deemed as dear | B |
Alas I lost her in garden near | B |
Through grass to the ground from me it shot | C |
I pine now oppressed by love wound drear | B |
For that pearl mine own without a spot | C |
- | |
- | |
Since in that spot it sped from me | D |
I have looked and longed for that precious thing | E |
That me once was wont from woe to free | D |
To uplift my lot and healing bring | E |
But my heart doth hurt now cruelly | D |
My breast with burning torment sting | E |
Yet in secret hour came soft to me | D |
The sweetest song I e'er heard sing | E |
Yea many a thought in mind did spring | E |
To think that her radiance in clay should rot | C |
O mould Thou marrest a lovely thing | E |
My pearl mine own without a spot | C |
- | |
- | |
In that spot must needs be spices spread | F |
Where away such wealth to waste hath run | G |
Blossoms pale and blue and red | F |
There shimmer shining in the sun | G |
No flower nor fruit their hue may shed | F |
Where it down into darkling earth was done | G |
For all grass must grow from grains that are dead | F |
No wheat would else to barn be won | G |
From good all good is ever begun | G |
And fail so fair a seed could not | C |
So that sprang and sprouted spices none | G |
From that precious pearl without a spot | C |
- | |
- | |
That spot whereof I speak I found | H |
When I entered in that garden green | I |
As August's season high came round | H |
When corn is cut with sickles keen | I |
There where that pearl rolled down a mound | H |
With herbs was shadowed fair and sheen | I |
With gillyflower ginger and gromwell crowned | H |
And peonies powdered all between | I |
If sweet was all that there was seen | I |
Fair too a fragrance flowed I wot | H |
Where dwells that dearest as I ween | I |
My precious pearl without a spot | H |
- | |
- | |
By that spot my hands I wrung dismayed | H |
For care full cold that had me caught | H |
A hopeless grief on my heart was laid | H |
Though reason to reconcile me sought | H |
For my pearl there prisoned a plaint I made | H |
In fierce debate unmoved I fought | H |
Be comforted Christ Himself me bade | H |
But in woe my will ever strove distraught | H |
On the flowery plot I fell methought | H |
Such odour through my senses shot | H |
I slipped and to sudden sleep was brought | H |
O'er that precious pearl without a spot | H |
- | |
- | |
From that spot my spirit sprang apace | J |
On the turf my body abode in trance | K |
My would was gone by God's own grace | J |
Adventuring where marvels chance | K |
I knew not where in the world was that place | J |
Save by cloven cliffs was set my stance | K |
And towards a forest I turned my face | J |
Where rocks in splendour met my glance | K |
From them did a glittering glory lance | K |
None could believe the light they lent | H |
Never webs were woven in mortal haunts | L |
Of half such wealth and wonderment | H |
- | |
- | |
Wondrous was made each mountain side | H |
With crystal cliffs so clear of hue | M |
About them woodlands bright lay wide | H |
As Indian dye their boles were blue | M |
The leaves did as burnished silver slide | H |
That thick upon twigs were trembling grew | M |
When glades let light upon them glide | H |
They shone with a shimmer of dazzling hue | M |
The gravel on ground that I trod with shoe | M |
Was of precious pearls of Orient | H |
Sunbeams are blear and dark to view | M |
Compared with that fair wonderment | H |
- | |
- | |
In wonder at those fells so fair | B |
My soul all grief forgot let fall | N |
Odours so fresh of fruits there were | B |
I was fed as by food celestial | O |
In the woods the birds did wing and pair | B |
Of flaming hues both great and small | N |
But cithern string and gittern player | B |
Their merry mirth could ne'er recall | N |
For when the beat their pinions all | N |
In harmony their voices bent | H |
No delight more lovely could men enthrall | N |
Than behold and hear that wonderment | H |
- | |
- | |
Thus arrayed was all in wonderment | H |
That forest where forth my fortune led | H |
No man its splendour to present | H |
With tongue could worthy words have said | H |
I walked ever onward well content | H |
No hill was so tall that it stayed my tread | H |
More fair the further afield I went | H |
Were plants and fruits and spices spread | H |
Through hedge and mead lush waters led | H |
As in strands of gold there steeply pent | H |
A river I reached in cloven bed | H |
O Lord the wealth of its wonderment | H |
- | |
- | |
The adornments of that wondrous deep | P |
Were beauteous banks of beryl bright | H |
Swirling sweetly its waters sweep | P |
Ever rippling on in murmurous flight | H |
In the depths stood dazzling stones aheap | P |
As a glitter through glass that glowed with light | H |
As streaming stars when on earth men sleep | P |
Stare in the welkin in winter night | H |
For emerald sapphire or jewel bright | H |
Was every pebble in pool there pent | H |
And the water was lit with rays of light | H |
Such wealth was in its wonderment | H |
- | |
- | |
The wonderous wealth of down and dales | Q |
of wood and water and lordly plain | I |
My mirth makes mount my mourning fails | Q |
My care is quelled and cured my pain | I |
Then down a stream that strongly sails | Q |
I blissful turn with teeming brain | I |
The further I follow those flowing vales | Q |
The more strength of joy my heart doth strain | I |
As fortune fares where she doth deign | I |
Whether gladness she gives or grieving sore | B |
So he who may her graces gain | I |
His hap is to have ever more and more | B |
- | |
- | |
There more was of such marvels thrice | R |
Than I could tell though I long delayed | H |
For earthly heart could not suffice | R |
For a tithe of the joyful joys displayed | H |
Therefore I thought that Paradise | R |
Across those banks was yonder laid | H |
I weened that the water by device | R |
As bounds between pleasances was made | H |
Beyond that stream by steep or slade | H |
That city's walls I weened must soar | B |
But the water was deep I dared not wade | H |
And ever I longed to more and more | B |
- | |
- | |
More and more and yet still more | B |
I fain beyond the stream had scanned | H |
For fair as was this hither shore | B |
Far lovelier was the further land | H |
To find a ford I did then explore | B |
And round about did stare and stand | H |
But perils pressed in sooth more sore | B |
The further I strode along the strand | H |
I should not I thought by fear be banned | H |
From delights so lovely that lay in store | B |
But a happening new then came to hand | H |
That moved my mind ever more and more | B |
- | |
- | |
A marvel more did my mind amaze | S |
I saw beyond that border bright | H |
From a crystal cliff the lucent rays | S |
And beams in splendour lift their light | H |
A child abode there at its base | J |
She wore a gown of glistening white | H |
A gentle maid of courtly grace | J |
Erewhile I had known her well by sight | H |
As shredded gold that glistered bright | H |
She shone in beauty upon the shore | B |
Long did my glance on her alight | H |
And the longer I looked I knew her more | B |
- | |
- | |
The more I that face so fair surveyed | H |
When upon her gracious form I gazed | H |
Such gladdening glory upon me played | H |
As my wont was seldom to see upraised | H |
Desire to call her then me swayed | H |
But dumb surprise my mind amazed | H |
In place so strange I saw that maid | H |
The blow might well my wits have crazed | H |
Her forehead fair then up she raised | H |
That hue of polished ivory wore | B |
It smote my heart distraught and dazed | H |
And ever the longer the more and more | B |
- | |
- | |
More than I would my dread did rise | T |
I stood there still and dared not call | N |
With closed mouth and open eyes | T |
I stood as tame as hawk in hall | N |
A ghost was present I did surmise | T |
And feared for what might then befall | N |
Lest she should flee before mine eyes | T |
Ere I to tryst could her recall | N |
So smooth so seemly slight and small | N |
That flawless fair and mirthful maid | H |
Arose in robes majestical | N |
A precious gem in pearls arrayed | H |
- | |
- | |
There pearls arrayed and royally dight | H |
Might one have seen by fortune graced | H |
When fresh as flower de luces bright | H |
She down to the water swiftly paced | H |
In linen robe of glistening white | H |
With open sides that seams enlaced | H |
With the merriest margery pearls my sight | H |
Ever before I vow had traced | H |
Her sleeves hung long below her waist | H |
Adorned with pearls in double braid | H |
Her kir | B |
Anonymous Olde English
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Pearl poem by Anonymous Olde English
Best Poems of Anonymous Olde English