BY JAN HAAG

ART & POETRY - ACCUMULATIONS

POETRY + ESSAYS + MUSIC + TRAVEL + FICTION + TEXTILE ART

INTRODUCTION + HAAG'S BIO





The Desolation Poems



A QUATRAIN QUARTET






For many years I have known the line: "Come live with me and be my love"; only recently did I learn that it is contained, or referred to, in at least three poems in the English Language, all written in the 16th Century: "The Pasionate Sheepheard To His Love" by Chirstopher Marlowe -- 1589?, "The Nimphs Reply To The Sheepheard" by Sir Walter Ralegh -- 1590?, "The Baite" by John Donne -- 1595?. I must have thought it was all one poem, or, meeting different versions of it, that I didn't remember it too well. How then, upon discovering its tri-nature, could I resist adding to this Trio and making it a Quartet of Quatrains in Tetrameter for my Poetic Forms Used In English collection?

Therefore, below, in chronological order, are variations by Marlowe, Ralegh, Donne and Haag. Lest this sound presumptious, be it noted: I think those guys were having just as much fun as I had in writing, not one, but two versions. The version below, has not only used the exact scansion of Donne, but uses, in the same locations he did, each of his either archaic, "poetic", or contracted words. The version available as #288, Iambic Tetrameter Quatrains is a wee bit looser, but still obeys the as-exact-as-can-be scansion of Donne's BAITE.


Jan Haag
September 28, 1998
University of Washington
Seattle


There is an additional poem: "Serenade: Any man to any woman" by Edith Sitwell which plays upon this same form and theme, but it does not seem to be available online. (Noted 12-10-03)





#288, A QUATRAIN QUARTET

9-25/26/27-98







THE PASIONATE SHEEPHEARD TO HIS LOVE by Chirstopher Marlowe

1589?


Come live with mee, and be my love,
and we will all the pleasures prove,
that vallies, groves, hills and fieldes,
woods or steepie mountaine yeeldes.

And wee will sit upon the rocks,
seeing the sheepheards feede theyr flocks
by shallow rivers, to whose falls
melodious byrds sing madrigalls.

And I will make thee beds of roses,
and a thousand fragrant poesies,
a cap of flowers, and a kirtle,
imbroydred all with leaves of mirtle.

A gowne made of the finest wooll,
which from our pretty lambes we pull,
fayre lined slippers for the cold,
with buckles of the purest gold.

A belt of straw and ivie buds,
with corall clasps and amber studs,
and if these pleasures may thee move,
come live with mee, and be my love.

The sheepheards swaines shall daunce and sing
for thy delight each May-morning.
If these delights thy minde may move,
then live with mee, and be my love.




THE NIMPHS REPLY TO THE SHEEPHEARD by Sir Walter Ralegh

1590?


If all the world and love were young,
and truth in every sheepheards tongue,
these pretty pleasures might me move,
to live with thee, and be thy love.

Time drives the flocks from field to fold,
when rivers rage, and rocks grow cold,
and Philomell becommeth dombe,
the rest complaines of cares to come.

The flowers do fade, and wanton fieldes,
to wayward winter reckoning yeeldes,
a honny tongue, a hart of gall,
is fancies spring, but sorrowes fall.

Thy gownes, thy shooes, thy beds of roses,
thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy poesies,
soone breake, soone wither, soone forgotten:
in follie ripe, in reason rotten.

Thy belt of straw and ivie buddes,
thy corall claspes and amber studdes,
all these in me no meanes can move,
to come to thee, and be thy love.

But could youth last, and love still breede,
had joyes no date, nor age no neede,
then these delights my minde might move,
to live with thee, and be thy love.




THE BAITE by John Donne

1595?


Come live with mee, and bee my love,
and we will some new pleasures prove
of golden sands, and christall brookes,
with silken lines, and silver hookes.

There will the river whispering runne
warm'ed by they eyes, more than the sunne,
and there the'inamor'd fish will stay,
begging themselves they may betray.

When thou wilt swimme in that live bath,
each fish, which every channell hath,
will amorously to thee swimme,
gladder to catch thee, then thou him.

If thou, to be so seene, beest loath,
by sunne, or moone, thou dark'nest both,
and if my selfe hath leave to see,
I need not their light, having thee.

Let others freeze with angling reeds,
and cut their legges, with shells and weeds,
or treacherously poore fish beset,
with strangling snare, or windowie net:

let coarse bold hands, from slimy nest
the bedded fish in banks out-wrest,
or curious traitors, sleaves like flies
bewitch poore fishes wand'ring eyes.

For thee, thou needst no such deceit,
for thou thy selfe art thine owne bait;
that fish, that is not catch'd therby,
alas, is wiser farre then I.




DEVAYANI by Jan Haag

1998


Come live with me, and be my love,
and we will outside pleasures move
to golden lands and sacred nooks
which seem alive, but just in books.

There will we honor whispering sun,
bright evening light, maybe what's done
in flame, the'inamor'd sunset's ray
fending the cold, while fish delay.

Surface world's yet do play God's wrath
though brooks are still beside the path
where birds are mute and silence grim,
luteless, you hide behind the scrim.

Do not reveal, but be'est both
in angels, Gods who dark'nest, loath
offenses washed by laws, or sea
through which life swims free, fine, sans fee.

Among the weeds, reprieve re-seeds;
a veil to all its pow'r impedes
the treacherously negated debt,
the opaline and windowie jet.

With breath comes death, eternal rest;
the greeds do die, and are confessed
as curious traitors, lying cries
for those too shy, with wand'ring sighs.

Come be with me, I am your gate
beyond, beneath, by which reads fate,
all glory fires have caught my eye,
my love, my sacred wise one, I.







DEVAYANI and INTRODUCTION

Copyright © 2002 Jan Haag
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Jan Haag may be reached via e-mail: jhaag@janhaag.com or jhaag@u.washington.edu








Marlowe's THE PASIONATE SHEEPHEARD TO HIS LOVE -- 1589?

Ralegh's THE NIMPHS REPLY TO THE SHEEPHEARD -- 1590?

Donne's THE BAITE -- 1595?

Haag's DEVAYANI, -- 1998






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BY JAN HAAG

ART & POETRY - ACCUMULATIONS

POETRY + MUSIC + ESSAYS + TRAVEL + FICTION + TEXTILE ART

INTRODUCTION + HAAG'S BIO



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