Down lay the Shepherd Swaine so sober and demure Wishing for his wench againe so bonny and so pure With his head on hillock lowe and his arms akimboe, And all was for the losse of his hye nonny nonny noe. His Teares fell as thinne as water from the still, His haire upon his chinne grew like Thyme upon a hill, His cherry cheekes pale as snowe did testifye his mickle woe And all was for the losse of his hye nonny nonny noe. Sweet she was, as kind a love as ever fetter'd Swayne; Never such a daynty one shall man enjoy again. Sett a thousand on a rowe I forbid that any showe Ever the like of her hye nonny nonny noe. Face she had of Filberd hue and bosom'd like a Swan Back she had of bended ewe, And wasted by a span. Haire she had as black as Crowe from the head unto the toe Downe downe all over her hye nonny nonny noe. With her Mantle tuck't up high she foddered her flock So bucksome and alluringly her knee upheld her smock So nimbly did she use to goe, so smooth she danc't on tip-toe, That all the men were fond of her hye nonny nonny noe. She smiled liked a Holy-day, and simpred like the Spring, She pranck't it like a Popingaie, and like a Swallow sing: She trip't it like a barren Doe, She strutted like a gor-crowe, Which made the men so fond of her hye nonny nonny noe. To sport it on the merry downe to daunce the Lively Haye, To wrastle for a green gowne in heate of all the day. Never would she say me no yet me thought I had tho Never enough of her hye nonny nonny noe. But gonne she is the prettiest lasse that ever trod on plaine. What ever hath betide of her blame not the Shepherd Swayne For why? she was her owne Foe, and gave herselfe the overthrowe By being so franke of her hye nonny nonny noe. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PROVING by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON IN TALL GRASS by CARL SANDBURG THE AGONY [AGONIE] by GEORGE HERBERT EPIGRAM: PERJURY by ROBERT NUGENT A SKETCH by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI THE SHEPHEARDES CALENDER: MAY by EDMUND SPENSER QUITS by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH SONNET: 19 by RICHARD BARNFIELD PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY: OF PROPRIETY by CHARLES STUART CALVERLEY |