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44
THE COMMON.
This Common holds all sweets in one:
Sweet scents and sounds, sweet shade and sun,
Bright birds, light moths on gauzy wings;
Thank God that these are common things!
Sweet scents and sounds, sweet shade and sun,
Bright birds, light moths on gauzy wings;
Thank God that these are common things!
The pines fling incense far and wide,
Drop their sweet cones on every side;
There is a pond of amber sweet
Hid in the very heart of it.
Drop their sweet cones on every side;
There is a pond of amber sweet
Hid in the very heart of it.
Green bracken waves like a green sea,
Breaks like a green wave airily;
With gorse in blossom and the broom,
Acres of honey and of bloom.
Breaks like a green wave airily;
With gorse in blossom and the broom,
Acres of honey and of bloom.
What carpet's underneath the feet,
Here in this delicate deep retreat?
A carpet fit for a Queen's foot,
A thousand years it took to do't.
Here in this delicate deep retreat?
A carpet fit for a Queen's foot,
A thousand years it took to do't.
Here in a wild-wood solitude
Beyond the delicious gorse and wood,
The village rests this eve in peace,
Against a sky of primroses.
Beyond the delicious gorse and wood,
The village rests this eve in peace,
Against a sky of primroses.
This Common, twenty miles from town,
Small honour hath she, small renown,
She holds her secret quietly,
And lets the noisy town go by.
Small honour hath she, small renown,
She holds her secret quietly,
And lets the noisy town go by.
45
No rich man here or his minion
Bids the poor traveller to begone,
Nor bids him take the road again,
Since this is not for common men.
Bids the poor traveller to begone,
Nor bids him take the road again,
Since this is not for common men.
The Common spreads her sweets for all
From evenfall to evenfall;
Wells of refreshment, water-springs:
Thank God that these are common things!
From evenfall to evenfall;
Wells of refreshment, water-springs:
Thank God that these are common things!
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