Thee Winter in the garland wears That thinly decks his few grey hairs; 10 Spring parts the clouds with softest airs, That she may sun thee; [4]
Whole Summer-fields are thine by right; And Autumn, melancholy Wight!
Doth in thy crimson head delight 15 When rains are on thee.
In shoals and bands, a morrice train, Thou greet"st the traveller in the lane; Pleased at his greeting thee again; Yet nothing daunted, 20 Nor grieved if thou be set at nought: [5]
And oft alone in nooks remote We meet thee, like a pleasant thought, When such are wanted.
Be violets in their secret mews 25 The flowers the wanton Zephyrs choose; Proud be the rose, with rains and dews Her head impearling, Thou liv"st with less ambitious aim, Yet hast not gone without thy fame; 30 Thou art indeed by many a claim The Poet"s darling.
If to a rock from rains he fly, Or, some bright day of April sky, Imprisoned by hot sunshine lie 35 Near the green holly, And wearily at length should fare; He needs [6] but look about, and there Thou art!--a friend at hand, to scare His melancholy. 40
A hundred times, by rock or bower, Ere thus I have lain couched an hour, Have I derived from thy sweet power Some apprehension; Some steady love; some brief delight; [7] 45 Some memory that had taken flight; Some chime [8] of fancy wrong or right; Or stray invention.
If stately pa.s.sions in me burn, And one [9] chance look to Thee should turn, 50 I drink out of an humbler urn A lowlier pleasure; The homely sympathy that heeds The common life, our nature breeds; A wisdom fitted to the needs 55 Of hearts at leisure.
Fresh-smitten by the morning ray, When thou art up, alert and gay, Then, cheerful Flower! my spirits play With kindred gladness: [10] 60 And when, at dusk, by dews opprest Thou sink"st, the image of thy rest Hath often eased my pensive breast Of careful sadness. [11]
And all day long I number yet, 65 All seasons through, another debt, Which I, wherever thou art met, To thee am owing; [12]
An instinct call it, a blind sense; A happy, genial influence, 70 Coming one knows not how, nor whence, Nor whither going.
Child of the Year! that round dost run Thy pleasant course,--when day"s begun As ready to salute the sun 75 As lark or leveret, Thy long-lost praise thou shalt regain; [B]
Nor be less dear to future men Than in old time;--thou not in vain [13]
Art Nature"s favourite. [C] 80
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1: The extract from Wither was first prefixed to this poem in the edition of 1815. The late Mr. d.y.k.es Campbell was of opinion that Charles Lamb had suggested this motto to Wordsworth, as "The Shepherd"s Hunting" was Lamb"s "prime favourite" amongst Wither"s poems. It may be as well to note that his quotation was erroneous in two places. His "instruction" should be "invention" (l. 3), and his "the" (in l. 4) should be "her."--Ed.]
[Variant 2:
1807.
To gentle sympathies awake, MS.]
[Variant 3:
1807.
And Nature"s love of Thee partake, Her much-loved Daisy! 1836.
The text of 1840 returns to the reading of 1807.
Of her sweet Daisy. C.]
[Variant 4:
1836.
When soothed a while by milder airs, Thee Winter in the garland wears That thinly shades his few grey hairs; Spring cannot shun thee; 1807.
When Winter decks his few grey hairs Thee in the scanty wreath he wears; Spring parts the clouds with softest airs, That she may sun thee; 1827.]
[Variant 5:
1836.
... in the lane; If welcome once thou count"st it gain; Thou art not daunted, Nor car"st if thou be set at naught; 1807.
If welcom"d ... 1815.
The text of 1827 returns to that of 1807.]
[Variant 6:
1820
He need..... 1807]
[Variant 7:
1807
....some chance delight; MS.]
[Variant 8:
1807
Some charm..... C.]
[Variant 9:
1807
And some..... MS.]
[Variant 10: