English Poetry I: From Chaucer to Gray.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| 183. O Sweet Content |
| | | Thomas Dekker (1570(?)–1614) |
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| ART thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers? | |
| O sweet content! | |
| Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplex’d? | |
| O punishment! | |
| Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vex’d | 5 |
| To add to golden numbers, golden numbers? | |
| O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content! | |
| Work apace, apace, apace, apace; | |
| Honest labour bears a lovely face; | |
| Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny! | 10 |
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| Canst drink the waters of the crispèd spring? | |
| O sweet content! | |
| Swimm’st thou in wealth, yet sink’st in thine own tears? | |
| O punishment! | |
| Then he that patiently want’s burden bears | 15 |
| No burden bears, but in a king, a king! | |
| O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content! | |
| Work apace, apace, apace, apace; | |
| Honest labour bears a lovely face; | |
| Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny! | 20 |
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