I wish to fire the trees af all these forrest

I give the Sunne a last farewell each evening

I curse the fidling finders out of Musicke

With envie i doo hate the loftie mountains

And with despite despise the humble vallies

I doo detest night, evening, day, and morning



For she, whose parts maintainde a perfect musique

Whose beawties shin'de more then the blushing morning

Who much did passe in state the stately mountains

In straightnes past the Cedars of the forest

Hath cast me wretch into eternally evening

By taking her two Sunnes from these darke vallies



Curse to my selfe my prayers is, the morning

My fire is more, then can be made with forrests

My state more base, then are the basest vallies

I wish no evenings more to see, each evening

Shamed I hate my selfe in sight of mountaines

And stoppe mine ears, lest I growe mad with Musicke



For she, with whorm compar'd, the Alpes are vallies

She, whose lest word brings from the spheares their musique

At whose approach the Sunne rase in the evening

Who, where she went, bare in her forhead morning

Is gone, is gone from these our spolyed forrests

Turning to desarts our best pastur'de mountaines



[Adapted from Sir Philip Sidneys: "The Countesse of pembrokes arcadia (1598)"]