A Hymn Of The Nativity, Sung By The Shepherds Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCC DEDEFG HIHIJB A AKAKAA A LALAAA M NKOKII A PQPQRR A EPAPSS A TQTQAA A IUIUVV WAWAXX AYAYAA AAAAAA AQAQZZ EAEAAA| Chorus | A |
| - | |
| Come we shepherds who have seen | B |
| Day's king deposed by Night's queen | B |
| Come lift we up our lofty song | C |
| To wake the Sun that sleeps too long | C |
| - | |
| He in this our general joy | D |
| Slept and dreamt of no such thing | E |
| While we found out the fair ey'd boy | D |
| And kissed the cradle of our king | E |
| Tell him he rises now too late | F |
| To show us aught worth looking at | G |
| - | |
| Tell him we now can show him more | H |
| Than he e'er show'd to mortal sight | I |
| Than he himself e'er saw before | H |
| Which to be seen needs not his light | I |
| Tell him Tityrus where th' hast been | J |
| Tell him Thyrsis what th' hast seen | B |
| - | |
| Tityrus | A |
| - | |
| Gloomy night embrac'd the place | A |
| Where the noble infant lay | K |
| The babe looked up and show'd his face | A |
| In spite of darkness it was day | K |
| It was thy day Sweet and did rise | A |
| Not from the east but from thy eyes | A |
| - | |
| Thyrsis | A |
| - | |
| Winter chid the world and sent | L |
| The angry North to wage his wars | A |
| The North forgot his fierce intent | L |
| And left perfumes instead of scars | A |
| By those sweet eyes' persuasive powers | A |
| Where he meant frosts he scattered flowers | A |
| - | |
| Both | M |
| - | |
| We saw thee in thy balmy nest | N |
| Bright dawn of our eternal day | K |
| We saw thine eyes break from the east | O |
| And chase the trembling shades away | K |
| We saw thee and we blest the sight | I |
| We saw thee by thine own sweet light | I |
| - | |
| - | |
| Tityrus | A |
| - | |
| I saw the curl'd drops soft and slow | P |
| Come hovering o'er the place's head | Q |
| Offring their whitest sheets of snow | P |
| To furnish the fair infant's bed | Q |
| Forbear said I be not too bold | R |
| Your fleect is white but 'tis too cold | R |
| - | |
| Thyrsis | A |
| - | |
| I saw th'officious angels bring | E |
| The down that their soft breasts did strow | P |
| For well they now can spare their wings | A |
| When Heaven itself lies here below | P |
| Fair youth said I be not too rough | S |
| Thy down though soft's not soft enough | S |
| - | |
| Tityrus | A |
| - | |
| The babe no sooner 'gan to seek | T |
| Where to lay his lovely head | Q |
| But straight his eyes advis'd his cheek | T |
| 'Twixt mother's breasts to go to bed | Q |
| Sweet choice said I no way but so | A |
| Not to lie cold yet sleep in snow | A |
| - | |
| Chorus | A |
| - | |
| Welcome to our wond'ring sight | I |
| Eternity shut in a span | U |
| Summer in winter Day in night | I |
| Heaven in Earth and God in Man | U |
| Great little one whose glorious birth | V |
| Lifts Earth to Heaven stoops heaven to earth | V |
| - | |
| Welcome though not to gold nor silk | W |
| To more than C sar's birthright is | A |
| Two sister seas of virgin's milk | W |
| WIth many a rarely temper'd kiss | A |
| That breathes at once both maid and mother | X |
| Warms in the one cools in the other | X |
| - | |
| She sings thy tears asleep and dips | A |
| Her kisses in thy weeping eye | Y |
| She spreads the red leaves of thy lips | A |
| That in their buds yet blushing lie | Y |
| She 'gainst those mother diamonds tries | A |
| The points of her young eagle's eyes | A |
| - | |
| Welcome though not to those gay flies | A |
| Guilded i'th' beams of earthly kings | A |
| Slippery souls in smiling eyes | A |
| But to poor Shepherds simple things | A |
| That use no varnish no oil'd arts | A |
| But lift clean hands full of clear hearts | A |
| - | |
| Yet when young April's husband showers | A |
| Shall bless the fruitful Maia's bed | Q |
| We'll bring the first born of her flowers | A |
| To kiss thy feet and crown thy head | Q |
| To thee dread lamb whose love must keep | Z |
| The shepherds while they feed their sheep | Z |
| - | |
| To seek Majesty soft king | E |
| Of simple graces and sweet loves | A |
| Each of us his lamb will bring | E |
| Each his pair of silver doves | A |
| At last in fire of thy fair eyes | A |
| We'll burn our own best sacrifice | A |
Richard Crashaw
(1)
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About A Hymn Of The Nativity, Sung By The Shepherds
A Hymn Of The Nativity, Sung By The Shepherds is a poem by Richard Crashaw. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.