23THE IDLE FLOWERS

23THE IDLE FLOWERSI have sown upon the fieldsEyebright and Pimpernel,And Pansy and Poppy-seedRipen’d and scatter’d well,And silver Lady-smockThe meads with light to fill,Cowslip and Buttercup,Daisy and Daffodil;King-cup and Fleur-de-lysUpon the marsh to meetWith Comfrey, Watermint,Loose-strife and Meadowsweet;And all along the streamMy care hath not forgotCrowfoot’s white galaxyAnd love’s Forget-me-not:And where high grasses waveShall great Moon-daisies blink,With Rattle and Sorrel sharpAnd Robin’s ragged pink.Thick on the woodland floorGay company shall be,Primrose and HyacinthAnd frail Anemone,Perennial Strawberry-bloom,Woodsorrel’s pencilled veil,Dishevel’d Willow-weedAnd Orchis purple and pale,Bugle, that blushes blue,And Woodruff’s snowy gem,Proud Foxglove’s finger-bellsAnd Spurge with milky stem.High on the downs so bare,Where thou dost love to climb,Pink Thrift and Milkwort are,Lotus and scented Thyme;And in the shady lanesBold Arum’s hood of green,Herb Robert, Violet,Starwort and Celandine;And by the dusty roadBedstraw and Mullein tall,With red ValerianAnd Toadflax on the wall,Yarrow and Chicory,That hath for hue no like,Silene and Mallow mildAnd Agrimony’s spike,Blue-eyed VeronicasAnd grey-faced ScabiousAnd downy SilverweedAnd striped Convolvulus:Harebell shall haunt the banks,And thro’ the hedgerow peerWithwind and SnapdragonAnd Nightshade’s flower of fear.And where men never sow,Have I my Thistles set,Ragwort and stiff WormwoodAnd straggling Mignonette,Bugloss and Burdock rankAnd prickly Teasel high,With Umbels yellow and white,That come to kexes dry.Pale Chlora shalt thou find,Sun-loving Centaury,Cranesbill and Sinjunwort,Cinquefoil and Betony:Shock-headed Dandelion,That drank the fire of the sunHawkweed and Marigold,Cornflower and Campion.Let Oak and Ash grow strong,Let Beech her branches spread;Let Grass and Barley throngAnd waving Wheat for bread;Be share and sickle brightTo labour at all hours;For thee and thy delightI have made the idle flowers.But now ’tis Winter, child,And bitter northwinds blow,The ways are wet and wild,The land is laid in snow.

I have sown upon the fieldsEyebright and Pimpernel,And Pansy and Poppy-seedRipen’d and scatter’d well,And silver Lady-smockThe meads with light to fill,Cowslip and Buttercup,Daisy and Daffodil;King-cup and Fleur-de-lysUpon the marsh to meetWith Comfrey, Watermint,Loose-strife and Meadowsweet;And all along the streamMy care hath not forgotCrowfoot’s white galaxyAnd love’s Forget-me-not:And where high grasses waveShall great Moon-daisies blink,With Rattle and Sorrel sharpAnd Robin’s ragged pink.Thick on the woodland floorGay company shall be,Primrose and HyacinthAnd frail Anemone,Perennial Strawberry-bloom,Woodsorrel’s pencilled veil,Dishevel’d Willow-weedAnd Orchis purple and pale,Bugle, that blushes blue,And Woodruff’s snowy gem,Proud Foxglove’s finger-bellsAnd Spurge with milky stem.High on the downs so bare,Where thou dost love to climb,Pink Thrift and Milkwort are,Lotus and scented Thyme;And in the shady lanesBold Arum’s hood of green,Herb Robert, Violet,Starwort and Celandine;And by the dusty roadBedstraw and Mullein tall,With red ValerianAnd Toadflax on the wall,Yarrow and Chicory,That hath for hue no like,Silene and Mallow mildAnd Agrimony’s spike,Blue-eyed VeronicasAnd grey-faced ScabiousAnd downy SilverweedAnd striped Convolvulus:Harebell shall haunt the banks,And thro’ the hedgerow peerWithwind and SnapdragonAnd Nightshade’s flower of fear.And where men never sow,Have I my Thistles set,Ragwort and stiff WormwoodAnd straggling Mignonette,Bugloss and Burdock rankAnd prickly Teasel high,With Umbels yellow and white,That come to kexes dry.Pale Chlora shalt thou find,Sun-loving Centaury,Cranesbill and Sinjunwort,Cinquefoil and Betony:Shock-headed Dandelion,That drank the fire of the sunHawkweed and Marigold,Cornflower and Campion.Let Oak and Ash grow strong,Let Beech her branches spread;Let Grass and Barley throngAnd waving Wheat for bread;Be share and sickle brightTo labour at all hours;For thee and thy delightI have made the idle flowers.But now ’tis Winter, child,And bitter northwinds blow,The ways are wet and wild,The land is laid in snow.

I have sown upon the fieldsEyebright and Pimpernel,And Pansy and Poppy-seedRipen’d and scatter’d well,

I have sown upon the fields

Eyebright and Pimpernel,

And Pansy and Poppy-seed

Ripen’d and scatter’d well,

And silver Lady-smockThe meads with light to fill,Cowslip and Buttercup,Daisy and Daffodil;

And silver Lady-smock

The meads with light to fill,

Cowslip and Buttercup,

Daisy and Daffodil;

King-cup and Fleur-de-lysUpon the marsh to meetWith Comfrey, Watermint,Loose-strife and Meadowsweet;

King-cup and Fleur-de-lys

Upon the marsh to meet

With Comfrey, Watermint,

Loose-strife and Meadowsweet;

And all along the streamMy care hath not forgotCrowfoot’s white galaxyAnd love’s Forget-me-not:

And all along the stream

My care hath not forgot

Crowfoot’s white galaxy

And love’s Forget-me-not:

And where high grasses waveShall great Moon-daisies blink,With Rattle and Sorrel sharpAnd Robin’s ragged pink.

And where high grasses wave

Shall great Moon-daisies blink,

With Rattle and Sorrel sharp

And Robin’s ragged pink.

Thick on the woodland floorGay company shall be,Primrose and HyacinthAnd frail Anemone,

Thick on the woodland floor

Gay company shall be,

Primrose and Hyacinth

And frail Anemone,

Perennial Strawberry-bloom,Woodsorrel’s pencilled veil,Dishevel’d Willow-weedAnd Orchis purple and pale,

Perennial Strawberry-bloom,

Woodsorrel’s pencilled veil,

Dishevel’d Willow-weed

And Orchis purple and pale,

Bugle, that blushes blue,And Woodruff’s snowy gem,Proud Foxglove’s finger-bellsAnd Spurge with milky stem.

Bugle, that blushes blue,

And Woodruff’s snowy gem,

Proud Foxglove’s finger-bells

And Spurge with milky stem.

High on the downs so bare,Where thou dost love to climb,Pink Thrift and Milkwort are,Lotus and scented Thyme;

High on the downs so bare,

Where thou dost love to climb,

Pink Thrift and Milkwort are,

Lotus and scented Thyme;

And in the shady lanesBold Arum’s hood of green,Herb Robert, Violet,Starwort and Celandine;

And in the shady lanes

Bold Arum’s hood of green,

Herb Robert, Violet,

Starwort and Celandine;

And by the dusty roadBedstraw and Mullein tall,With red ValerianAnd Toadflax on the wall,

And by the dusty road

Bedstraw and Mullein tall,

With red Valerian

And Toadflax on the wall,

Yarrow and Chicory,That hath for hue no like,Silene and Mallow mildAnd Agrimony’s spike,

Yarrow and Chicory,

That hath for hue no like,

Silene and Mallow mild

And Agrimony’s spike,

Blue-eyed VeronicasAnd grey-faced ScabiousAnd downy SilverweedAnd striped Convolvulus:

Blue-eyed Veronicas

And grey-faced Scabious

And downy Silverweed

And striped Convolvulus:

Harebell shall haunt the banks,And thro’ the hedgerow peerWithwind and SnapdragonAnd Nightshade’s flower of fear.

Harebell shall haunt the banks,

And thro’ the hedgerow peer

Withwind and Snapdragon

And Nightshade’s flower of fear.

And where men never sow,Have I my Thistles set,Ragwort and stiff WormwoodAnd straggling Mignonette,

And where men never sow,

Have I my Thistles set,

Ragwort and stiff Wormwood

And straggling Mignonette,

Bugloss and Burdock rankAnd prickly Teasel high,With Umbels yellow and white,That come to kexes dry.

Bugloss and Burdock rank

And prickly Teasel high,

With Umbels yellow and white,

That come to kexes dry.

Pale Chlora shalt thou find,Sun-loving Centaury,Cranesbill and Sinjunwort,Cinquefoil and Betony:

Pale Chlora shalt thou find,

Sun-loving Centaury,

Cranesbill and Sinjunwort,

Cinquefoil and Betony:

Shock-headed Dandelion,That drank the fire of the sunHawkweed and Marigold,Cornflower and Campion.

Shock-headed Dandelion,

That drank the fire of the sun

Hawkweed and Marigold,

Cornflower and Campion.

Let Oak and Ash grow strong,Let Beech her branches spread;Let Grass and Barley throngAnd waving Wheat for bread;

Let Oak and Ash grow strong,

Let Beech her branches spread;

Let Grass and Barley throng

And waving Wheat for bread;

Be share and sickle brightTo labour at all hours;For thee and thy delightI have made the idle flowers.

Be share and sickle bright

To labour at all hours;

For thee and thy delight

I have made the idle flowers.

But now ’tis Winter, child,And bitter northwinds blow,The ways are wet and wild,The land is laid in snow.

But now ’tis Winter, child,

And bitter northwinds blow,

The ways are wet and wild,

The land is laid in snow.

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