Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SONG, by JOHN DOWLAND


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

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First Line: A shepherd in a shade his plaining made
Last Line: Fie! Fie! On love that is a foolish thing.
Subject(s): Happiness; Joy; Delight


A SHEPHERD in a shade his plaining made,
Of love and lover's wrong,
Unto the fairest lass that trod on grass,
And thus began his song:
Restore, restore my heart again,
Which love by thy sweet looks hath slain,
Lest that, enforced by your disdain, I sing;
Fie! fie! on love, it is a foolish thing.

Since love and fortune will, I honour still
Your fair and lovely eye;
What conquest will it be, sweet nymph for thee,
If I for sorrow die?
Restore, restore my heart again,
Which love by thy sweet looks hath slain,
Lest that, enforced by your disdain, I sing;
Fie! fie! on love, it is a foolish thing.

My heart where have you laid, O cruel maid,
To kill when you might save?
Why have ye cast it forth as nothing worth,
Without a tomb or grave?
O, let it be entombed and lie,
In your sweet mind and memory,
Lest I resound on every warbling string:
Fie! fie! on love that is a foolish thing.





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