The Passionate Shepherd

Who can live in heart so glad
   As the merry country lad?
   Who upon a fair green balk
   May at pleasure sit and walk,
   And amid the azure skies
   See the morning sun arise;
   While he hears in every spring
   How the birds do chirp and sing;
   Or before the hounds in cry
  See the hare go stealing by;
  Or along the shallow brook
  Angling with a baited hook,
  See the fishes leap and play
  In a blessed sunny day;
  Or to hear the partridge call
  Till she have her covey all;
  Or to see the subtle fox,
  How the villain plies the box,
  After feeding on his prey
  How he closely sneaks away
  Through the hedge and down the furrow,
  Till he gets into his burrow;
  Then the bee to gather honey,
  And the little black hair'd coney
  On a bank for sunny place
  With her forefeet wash her face:
  Are not these, with thousands moe
  Than the courts of kings do know,
  The true pleasing-spirits sights
  That may breed true love's delights?