The Brook

I come from haunts of coot and hern[26],I make a sudden sally,And sparkle out among the fern,To bicker down a valley.By thirty hills I hurry down,Or slip between the ridges,By twenty thorps[27], a little town,And half a hundred bridges.I chatter over stony waysIn little sharps and trebles,I bubble into eddying bays,I babble on the pebbles.With many a curve my banks I fretBy many a field and fallow,And many a fairy foreland setWith willow-weed and mallow.I chatter, chatter, as I flowTo join the brimming river,For men may come and men may go,But I go on for ever.I wind about and in and out,With here a blossom sailing,And here and there a lusty trout,And here and there a grayling.And here and there a foamy flakeUpon me, as I travelWith many a silvery waterbreakAbove the golden gravel.I steal by lawns and grassy plots,I slide by hazel covers;I move the sweet forget-me-notsThat grow for happy lovers.I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,Among my skimming swallows;I make the netted sunbeam danceAgainst my sandy shallows.I murmur under moon and starsIn brambly wildernesses;I linger by my shingly bars;I loiter round my cresses;And out again I curve and flowTo join the brimming river,For men may come and men may go,But I go on for ever.

I come from haunts of coot and hern[26],I make a sudden sally,And sparkle out among the fern,To bicker down a valley.

I come from haunts of coot and hern[26],

I make a sudden sally,

And sparkle out among the fern,

To bicker down a valley.

By thirty hills I hurry down,Or slip between the ridges,By twenty thorps[27], a little town,And half a hundred bridges.

By thirty hills I hurry down,

Or slip between the ridges,

By twenty thorps[27], a little town,

And half a hundred bridges.

I chatter over stony waysIn little sharps and trebles,I bubble into eddying bays,I babble on the pebbles.

I chatter over stony ways

In little sharps and trebles,

I bubble into eddying bays,

I babble on the pebbles.

With many a curve my banks I fretBy many a field and fallow,And many a fairy foreland setWith willow-weed and mallow.

With many a curve my banks I fret

By many a field and fallow,

And many a fairy foreland set

With willow-weed and mallow.

I chatter, chatter, as I flowTo join the brimming river,For men may come and men may go,But I go on for ever.

I chatter, chatter, as I flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

I wind about and in and out,With here a blossom sailing,And here and there a lusty trout,And here and there a grayling.

I wind about and in and out,

With here a blossom sailing,

And here and there a lusty trout,

And here and there a grayling.

And here and there a foamy flakeUpon me, as I travelWith many a silvery waterbreakAbove the golden gravel.

And here and there a foamy flake

Upon me, as I travel

With many a silvery waterbreak

Above the golden gravel.

I steal by lawns and grassy plots,I slide by hazel covers;I move the sweet forget-me-notsThat grow for happy lovers.

I steal by lawns and grassy plots,

I slide by hazel covers;

I move the sweet forget-me-nots

That grow for happy lovers.

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,Among my skimming swallows;I make the netted sunbeam danceAgainst my sandy shallows.

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,

Among my skimming swallows;

I make the netted sunbeam dance

Against my sandy shallows.

I murmur under moon and starsIn brambly wildernesses;I linger by my shingly bars;I loiter round my cresses;

I murmur under moon and stars

In brambly wildernesses;

I linger by my shingly bars;

I loiter round my cresses;

And out again I curve and flowTo join the brimming river,For men may come and men may go,But I go on for ever.

And out again I curve and flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

[26]hern: heron.

[27]thorps: villages.

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