Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TO MY BROWNE, YET BRIGHTEST SWAIN / THAT WOONS, OR ... PLAIN, by JOHN DAVIES (1565-1618)


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TO MY BROWNE, YET BRIGHTEST SWAIN / THAT WOONS, OR ... PLAIN, by                 Poet Analysis    
First Line: Pipe on, sweet swain, till joy, in bliss, sleep waking
Last Line: Dum carmen gratulatorium.
Alternate Author Name(s): Welsh Poet; Davies Of Hereford, John
Subject(s): Browne, William (1591-1645)


PIPE on, sweet swain, till joy, in bliss, sleep waking;
Hermes, it seems, to thee, of all the swains,
Hath lent his pipe and art: for thou art making
With sweet notes (noted) heav'n of hills and plains!
Nay, if as thou begin'st, thou dost hold on,
The total earth thine Arcadie will be,
And Neptune's monarchy thy Helicon;
So all in both will make a god of thee,
To whom they will exhibit sacrifice
Of richest love and praise; and envious swains
(Charm'd with thine accents) shall thy notes agnize
To reach above great Pan's in all thy strains.
Then ply this vein, for it may well contain
The richest morals under poorest shroud;
And sith in thee the past'ral spirit doth reign,
On such wit's-treasures let it sit abrood,
Till it hath hatch'd such numbers as may buy
The rarest fame that e'er enriched air;
Or fann'd the way fair to eternity,
To which unsoil'd thy glory shall repair!
Where (with the gods that in fair stars do dwell,
When thou shalt, blazing, in a star abide)
Thou shalt be styl'd the shepherds' star to tell
Them many mysteries and be their guide.
Thus do I spur thee on with sharpest praise,
To use thy gifts of Nature and of skill,
To double-gild Apollo's brows and bays,
Yet make great Nature Art's true sov'reign still.
So Fame shall ever say, to thy renown,
The shepherd's-star, or bright'st in sky, is Browne!

Ad Illustrissimum Juvenem Gulielmum Browne
Generosum, in Operis sui Tomum secun-
dum Carmen gratulatorium.





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