Phoebe drest like beauty's queen,
Jellicoe in faint pea-green,
Sitting all beneath a grot,
Where the little lambkins trot.
 
Maidens dancing, [lovers]1 a-sporting,
All the country [folk]2 a-courting,
Susan, Johnny, Bob, and Joe,
Lightly tripping on a row.
 
Happy people, who can be
In happiness compar'd with ye?
The pilgrim with his crook and hat
Sees your happiness complete.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
Another version is titled "The Song of Phoebe and Jellicoe"
¹ Blake's other version: "loves"
² Blake's other version: "folks"

Text Authorship:

• by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The pilgrim", appears in An Island in the Moon [author's text checked 1 time 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 Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "The pilgrim", op. 11 no. 2, published c1916 [ SA chorus with piano ], London : J. Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hilda May Sarson (1901? - 1958), "Happiness compleat", published 1932 [ unison chorus and piano ], London : Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 61