Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Happy Anniversary, O Lovely Bride

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me and be my love.

The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.

- Christopher Marlowe

9 comments:

Jennifer said...

Happy Anniversary to both of you!

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

wait, you mean it's Snag's anniversary too?

What an amazing coincidence. What are the odds?

Mendacious D said...

Awwww.

This reminds me (the piece, not the occasion) of the updated version by Peter de Vries:

'Come live with me and be my love,'
He said, in substance. 'There's no vine
We will not pluck the clusters of,
Or grape we will not turn to wine.'

It's autumn of their second year.
Now he, in seasonal pursuit,
With rich and modulated cheer,
Brings home the festive purple fruit;

And she, by passion once demented
--That woman out of Botticelli--
She brews and bottles, unfermented,
The stupid and abiding jelly.


This has nothing to do with the Snags, though. There isn't enough bourbon involved.

fish said...

Marlowe? Snag you old softie.

Kathleen said...

awwwwww. Happy Anniversary.

Righteous Bubba said...

Aww.

Anonymous said...

yay! happy anniversary Mr Snag :)

Brando said...

You had me at "kirtle" and "myrtle."

Happy Anniversary, and here's to many more.

Mr. Middlebrow said...

Finding the words that express just the right sentiment can be tricky. I'm glad to see you didn't go with "There once was a man from Nantucket..."

Congratulations.