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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  204. Sweet Content

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Thomas Dekker. 1575–1641

204. Sweet Content

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
 
Canst drink the waters of the crispèd spring? 
            O sweet content! 
Swim’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 is 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