Classic Poem

Chamus, that with thy yellow-sanded stream
Slid'st softly down where thousand Muses dwell,
Gracing their bowres, but thou more grac'd by them;
Heark Chamus , from thy low-built greeny cell;
Heark, how our Kentish woods with Hymen ring,
While all the Nymphs, and all the shepherds sing,
Hymen , oh Hymen , here thy saffron garment bring.

With him a shoal of goodly shepherd-swains;
Yet he more goodly then the goodliest swain:
With her a troop of fairest wood-nymphs trains;
Yet she more fair then fairest of the train:
And all in course their voice attempering,
While the woods back their bounding Echo fling,
Hymen , come holy Hymen ; Hymen lowd they sing.

His high-built forehead almost maiden fair,
Hath made an hundred Nymphs her chance envying:
Her more then silver skin, and golden hair,
Cause of a thousand shepherds forced dying.
Where better could her love then here have nested?
Or he his thoughts more daintily have feasted?
Hymen , come Hymen ; here thy saffron coat is rested.

His looks resembling humble Majesty,
Rightly his fairest mothers grace befitteth:
In her face blushing, fearfull modesty,
The Queens of chastity and beauty, sitteth:
There cheerfulnesse all sadnesse farre exileth:
Here love with bow unbent all gently smileth.
Hymen come, Hymen come; no spot thy garment 'fileth.

Love's bow in his bent eye-brows bended lies,
And in his eyes a thousand darts of loving:
Her shining starres, which (fools) we oft call eyes,
As quick as heav'n it self in speedy moving;
And this in both the onely difference being,
Other starres blinde, these starres indu'd with seeing.
Hymen , come Hymen ; all is for thy rites agreeing.

His breast a shelf of purest alabaster,
Where Love's self sailing often shipwrackt sitteth:
Hers a twin-rock, unknown but to th'ship-master;
Which though him safe receives, all other splitteth:
Both Love's high-way, yet by Love's self unbeaten,
Most like the milky path which crosses heaven.
Hymen , come Hymen ; all their marriage joyes are even.

And yet all these but as gilt covers be;
Within, a book more fair we written finde:
For Nature, framing th' Alls epitome,
Set in the face the Index of the minde.
Their bodies are but Temples, built for state,
To shrine the Graces in their silver plate:
Come Hymen , Hymen come, these Temples consecrate.

Hymen , the tier of hearts already tied;
Hymen , the end of lovers never ending;
Hymen , the cause of joyes, joyes never tried;
Joyes never to be spent, yet ever spending:
Hymen , that sow'st with men the desert sands;
Come, bring with thee, come bring thy sacred bands:
Hymen , come Hymen , th' hearts are joyn'd, joyn thou the hands.

Warrant of lovers, the true seal of loving,
Sign'd with the face of joy; the holy knot,
That bindes two hearts, and holds from slippery moving;
A gainfull losse, a stain without a blot;
That mak'st one soul as two, and two as one;
Yoke lightning burdens; love's foundation:
Hymen , come Hymen , now untie the maiden zone.

Thou that mad'st Man a brief of all thou mad'st,
A little living world, and mad'st him twain,
Dividing him whom first thou one creat'st,
And by this bond mad'st one of two again,
Bidding her cleave to him, and him to her,
And leave their parents, when no parents were:
Hymen , send Hymen from thy sacred bosome here.

See where he goes, how all the troop he cheereth,
Clad with a saffron coat, in's hand a light;
In all his brow not one sad cloud appeareth:
His coat all pure, his torch all burning bright.
Now chant we Hymen , shepherds; Hymen sing:
See where he goes, as fresh as is the Spring.
Hymen , oh Hymen , Hymen , all the valleys ring.

Oh happy pair, where nothing wants to either,
Both having to content, and be contented;
Fortune and nature being spare to neither!
Ne're may this bond of holy love be rented,
But like two parallels, run a level race,
In just proportion, and in even space.
Hymen , thus Hymen will their spotlesse marriage grace.

Live each of other firmly lov'd, and loving;
As farre from hate, as self-ill, jealousie:
Moving like heav'n still in the self same moving;
In motion ne're forgetting constancy.
Be all your dayes as this; no cause to plain:
Free from satiety, or (but lovers) pain.
Hymen , so Hymen still their present joyes maintain.