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by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)

To Phillis ‑ to love and live with him
Language: English 
Live, live with me, and thou shalt see
The pleasures I'll prepare for thee: 
What sweets the country can afford 
Shall bless thy bed, and bless thy board. 

The soft sweet moss shall be thy bed, 
With crawling woodbine over-spread: 
By which the silver-shedding streams 
Shall gently melt thee into dreams. 

Thy clothing next, shall be a gown 
Made of the fleeces' purest down.
The tongues of kids shall be thy meat; 
Their milk thy drink; and thou shalt eat 

The paste of filberts for thy bread 
With cream of cowslips buttered: 
Thy feasting-table shall be hills 
With daisies spread, and daffadils; 

Where thou shalt sit, and Red-breast by, 
For meat, shall give thee melody. 
I'll give thee chains and carcanets 
Of primroses and violets. 

A bag and bottle thou shalt have, 
That richly wrought, and this as brave; 
So that as either shall express 
The wearer's no mean shepherdess. 

At shearing-times, and yearly wakes, 
When Themilis his pastime makes, 
There thou shalt be; and be the wit, 
Nay more, the feast, and grace of it. 

On holydays, when virgins meet 
To dance the heys with nimble feet, 
Thou shalt come forth, and then appear 
The Queen of Roses for that year. 

And having danced ('bove all the best) 
Carry the garland from the rest, 
In wicker-baskets maids shall bring 
To thee, my dearest shepherdling, 

The blushing apple, bashful pear, 
And shame-faced plum, all simp'ring there. 
Walk in the groves, and thou shalt find 
The name of Phillis in the rind 

Of every straight and smooth-skin tree; 
Where kissing that, I'll twice kiss thee. 
To thee a sheep-hook I will send, 
Be-prank'd with ribbands, to this end, 

This, this alluring hook might be 
Be-prank'd with ribbands, to this end, 
This, this alluring hook might be 
 Less for to catch a sheep, than me. 

Thou shalt have possets, wassails fine, 
Not made of ale, but spiced wine; 
To make thy maids and self free mirth, 
All sitting near the glitt'ring hearth. 

Thou shalt have ribbands, roses, rings, 
Gloves, garters, stockings, shoes and strings
of winning colours, that shall move 
Others to lust, but me to love. 

- These, nay, and more, thine own shall be 
If thou wilt love, and live with me.

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Madeleine Dring (1923 - 1977), "To Phillis - to love and live with him" [voice and piano], from Dedications: 5 Poems by Robert Herrick, no. 5, confirmed with a score [ sung text checked 1 time]

Research team for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Mike Pearson

This text was added to the website: 2019-02-23
Line count: 58
Word count: 371

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