Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, AGAINST MY WILL I TAKE MY LEAVE, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

AGAINST MY WILL I TAKE MY LEAVE, by                    
First Line: "now lords and ladies, blithe and bold"
Last Line: For now 't is time to take my leave
Subject(s): Death; "dead, The;


Now lords and ladies, blithe and bold,
To bless your name I fain were bound,
I thank ye all a thousand-fold,
And pray God keep ye whole and sound.
Where'er ye fare, on grass or ground,
I pray He cause ye not to grieve,
For friendship fair I here have found, --
Against my will I take my leave.

For friendship fair, for gifts so good,
For meat and drink, in great plentie,
The Lord Who suffered on the Rood
Keep all this comely companie.
On sea or land, where'er ye be,
I pray He cause ye not to grieve,
So well have ye entreated me --
Against my will I take my leave.

Against my will I needs must wend
Nor longer make abiding here,
For everything must have an end,
And friends may not be ever near.
Hold we each other ne'er so dear
Notice to quit we all receive,
And when we busk us for our bier
Against our will we take our leave.

Depart we must, I know not when,
Nor know I whither we must fare,
But this is aye within our ken
Each man, or bliss, or bale, shall share.
Therefore I rede ye all, beware,
Nor deem fair words ill works retrieve,
That so our soul we forfeit there
When that of life we take our leave.

When this our life our form hath left
Our body, shrouded, lieth low,
Our riches all from us be reft
And cold earth on our corpse they throw.
Where are the friends who thee may know?
Say now, who shall thy soul relieve?
I rede thee, man, ere hence thou go
Prepare thee well to take thy leave.

Be ready for what may befall
Lest suddenly the summons smite,
Thou know'st not when thy Lord may call,
Look that thy lamp be burning bright.
Believe me well, save thou have light
Thy Lord shall thee right ill receive,
And drive thee hence from out His Sight
For all too late didst take thy leave.

Christ, Whom a Virgin Mother bore,
Now grant us grace to serve Him so
That we may come His Face before
When from this world we needs must go,
Amend the ill that here we do
While that to clay we cling and cleave,
And make our peace with friend and foe
So in good time to take our leave.

Now Fare-ye-well, ye good men all,
And Fare-ye-well, both young and old,
And Fare-ye-well, both great and small,
I thank ye all a thousand-fold.
I wot that good were richly told
If from mine hand ye might receive;
Christ shelter ye from care so cold
For now 't is time to take my leave.





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