| William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Elizabethan Verse. 1907. | | | | You Spotted Snakes | | By William Shakespeare (1564–1616) |
| | From “A Midsummer-Night’s Dream,” Act II. Scene 2 |
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YOU spotted snakes, with double tongue, | |
| Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen; | |
| Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong; | |
| Come not near our fairy queen. | |
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| Philomel, with melody | 5 |
| Sing in our sweet lullaby; | |
| Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby: | |
| Never harm, | |
| Nor spell nor charm, | |
| Come our lovely lady nigh; | 10 |
| So, good night, with lullaby. | |
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| Weaving spiders, come not here; | |
| Hence, you long-legg’d spinners, hence! | |
| Beetles black, approach not near; | |
| Worm, nor snail, do no offence. | 15 |
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| Philomel, with melody | |
| Sing in our sweet lullaby; | |
| Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby; | |
| Never harm, | |
| Nor spell nor charm, | 20 |
| Come our lovely lady nigh; | |
| So, good night, with lullaby. | | | |
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