The Star-Song: A Carol To The King Sung At Whitehall.

The Flourish of Music; then followed the Song.

1. Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue,
        Where is the Babe but lately sprung?
        Lies he the lily-banks among?

2. Or say, if this new Birth of ours
        Sleeps, laid within some ark of flowers,
        Spangled with dew-light; thou canst clear
        All doubts, and manifest the where.

3. Declare to us, bright star, if we shall seek
        Him in the morning's blushing cheek,
        Or search the beds of spices through,
        To find him out.

        Star. No, this ye need not do;
        But only come and see Him rest
        A Princely Babe in's mother's breast.

Chor. He's seen, He's seen! why then a round,
        Let's kiss the sweet and holy ground;
        And all rejoice that we have found
        A King before conception crown'd.

4. Come then, come then, and let us bring
        Unto our pretty Twelfth-tide King,
        Each one his several offering;

Chor. And when night comes, we'll give Him wassailing;
        And that His treble honours may be seen,
        We'll choose Him King, and make His mother Queen.

Robert Herrick

Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English lyric poet and cleric. He is known for his book of poems, "Hesperides," which includes the carpe diem poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time." His works are noted for their clarity, simplicity, and musical quality. Herrick was also a vicar of Dean Prior in Devon, despite being ejected during the English Civil War and later reinstated.

Robert Herrick

Excess.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

God's Dwelling.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

The Hag.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

On Love.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

A Christmas Carol, Sung To The King In The Presence At White-Hall

Chorus.

What sweeter music can we bring,
Than a Carol, for to sing
The Birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the Voice! Awake the String!
Heart, Ear, and Eye, and every thing
Awake! the while the active Finger
Runs division with the Singer.

[From the Flourish they came to the Song].

Voice 1:
Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honor to this Day,
That sees December turn'd to May.

Voice 2:
If we may ask the reason, say:
The why, and wherefore all things here
Seem like the Spring-time fo the year?

Voice 3:
Why does the chilling Winter's morn
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell, like to a mead new-shorn,
Thus, on the sudden?

Voice 4:
Come and see
The cause, why thi...

Robert Herrick

The New-Year's Gift: Or, Circumcision's Song. Sung To The King In The Presence At Whitehall.

1. Prepare for songs; He's come, He's come;
        And be it sin here to be dumb,
        And not with lutes to fill the room.

2. Cast holy water all about,
        And have a care no fire goes out,
        But 'cense the porch and place throughout.

3. The altars all on fire be;
        The storax fries; and ye may see
        How heart and hand do all agree
To make things sweet. Chor. Yet all less sweet than He.

4. Bring Him along, most pious priest,
        And tell us then, whenas thou seest
        His gently-gliding, dove-like eyes,
        And hear'st His whimpering and His cries;
        How can'st thou this Babe circumcise?

5. Ye must not be more pitiful than wise;
        For, now unless ye see Him bleed,
        W...

Robert Herrick

A Pastoral Upon The Birth Of Prince Charles: Presented To The King

AMIN. Good day, Mirtillo.MIRT. And to you no less;
And all fair signs lead on our shepherdess.
AMAR. With all white luck to you.MIRT. But say,
What news
Stirs in our sheep-walk?AMIN. None, save that my
ewes,
My wethers, lambs, and wanton kids are well,
Smooth, fair, and fat; none better I can tell:
Or that this day Menalchas keeps a feast
For his sheep-shearers.MIRT. True, these are the least.
But dear Amintas, and sweet Amarillis,
Rest but a while here by this bank of lilies;
And lend a gentle ear to one report
The country has.AMIN. From whence?    AMAR. From
whence?MIRT. The Court.
Three days before the shutting-in of May,
(With whitest wool be ever crown'd that day!)
To all our joy, a sweet-faced child was born,
More tender than the childhood of t...

Robert Herrick

Christmas Carols.

1.

Whoso hears a chiming for Christmas at the nighest,
Hears a sound like Angels chanting in their glee,
Hears a sound like palm-boughs waving in the highest,
Hears a sound like ripple of a crystal sea.

Sweeter than a prayer-bell for a saint in dying,
Sweeter than a death-bell for a saint at rest,
Music struck in Heaven with earth's faint replying,
"Life is good, and death is good, for Christ is Best."


2.

A holy, heavenly chime
Rings fulness in of time,
And on His Mother's breast
Our Lord God ever-Blest
Is laid a Babe at rest.

Stoop, Spirits unused to stoop,
Swoop, Angels, flying swoop,
Adoring as you gaze,
Uplifting hymns of praise, -
"Grace to the Full of Grace!"

The cave is cold and strait
T...

Christina Georgina Rossetti

A Carol Presented To Dr. Williams, Bishop Of Lincoln As A New-Year's Gift.

Fly hence, pale care, no more remember
Past sorrows with the fled December,
But let each pleasant cheek appear
Smooth as the childhood of the year,
    And sing a carol here.
'Twas brave, 'twas brave, could we command the hand
Of youth's swift watch to stand
As you have done your day;
Then should we not decay.
But all we wither, and our light
Is spilt in everlasting night,
Whenas your sight
Shows like the heavens above the moon,
Like an eternal noon
That sees no setting sun.

Keep up those flames, and though you shroud
Awhile your forehead in a cloud,
Do it like the sun to write
In the air a greater text of light;
Welcome to all our vows,
And since you pay
To us this day
So long desir'd,
See we have fir'd
Our holy s...

Robert Herrick

Christmas Carol

The kings they came from out the south,
All dressed in ermine fine;
They bore Him gold and chrysoprase,
And gifts of precious wine.

The shepherds came from out the north,
Their coats were brown and old;
They brought Him little new-born lambs
They had not any gold.

The wise men came from out the east,
And they were wrapped in white;
The star that led them all the way
Did glorify the night.

The angels came from heaven high,
And they were clad with wings;
And lo, they brought a joyful song
The host of heaven sings.

The kings they knocked upon the door,
The wise men entered in,
The shepherds followed after them
To hear the song begin.

The angels sang through all the night
Until the rising sun,
But little ...

Sara Teasdale