Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A MORNING-PIECE, OR, AN HYMN FOR THE HAY-MAKERS, by CHRISTOPHER SMART


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A MORNING-PIECE, OR, AN HYMN FOR THE HAY-MAKERS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Brisk chaunticleer his matins had begun
Last Line: And we'll dance to the tune of the stream.
Subject(s): Fields; Labor & Laborers; Shepherds & Shepherdesses; Pastures; Meadows; Leas; Work; Workers


BRISK Chaunticleer his matins had begun,
And broke the silence of the night,
And thrice he called aloud the tardy sun,
And thrice he hailed the dawn's ambiguous light;
Back to their graves the fear-begotten phantoms run.

Strong Labour got up with his pipe in his mouth,
And stoutly strode over the dale,
He lent new perfumes to the breath of the south,
On his back hung his wallet and flail.
Behind him came Health from her cottage of thatch,
Where never physician had lifted the latch.

First of the village Colin was awake,
And thus he sung, reclining on his rake:
Now the rural graces three
Dance beneath yon maple tree;
First the vestal Virtue, known
By her adamantine zone;
Next to her in rosy pride,
Sweet Society, the bride;
Last Honesty, full seemly dressed
In her cleanly home-spun vest.
The abbey bells in wak'ning rounds
The warning peal have giv'n;
And pious Gratitude resounds
Her morning hymn to heav'n.

All nature wakes—the birds unlock their throats,
And mock the shepherd's rustic notes.
All alive o'er the lawn,
Full glad of the dawn,
The little lambkins play,
Sylvia and Sol arise,—and all is day—

Come, my mates, let us work,
And all hands to the fork,
While the sun shines, our hay-cocks to make,
So fine is the day,
And so fragrant the hay,
That the meadow's as blithe as the wake.

Our voices let's raise
In Phoebus's praise;
Inspired by so glorious a theme,
Our musical words
Shall be joined by the birds,
And we'll dance to the tune of the stream.





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