English Poetry II: From Collins to Fitzgerald.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| 304. A Hunting Song |
| | | Henry Fielding (1707–1754) |
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| THE DUSKY night rides down the sky, | |
| And ushers in the morn; | |
| The hounds all join in glorious cry, | |
| The huntsman winds his horn, | |
| And a-hunting we will go. | 5 |
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| The wife around her husband throws | |
| Her arms, and begs his stay; | |
| ‘My dear, it rains, and hails, and snows, | |
| You will not hunt to-day?’ | |
| But a-hunting we will go. | 10 |
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| ‘A brushing fox in yonder wood | |
| Secure to find we seek: | |
| For why? I carried, sound and good, | |
| A cartload there last week, | |
| And a-hunting we will go.’ | 15 |
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| Away he goes, he flies the rout, | |
| Their steeds all spur and switch, | |
| Some are thrown in, and some thrown out, | |
| And some thrown in the ditch; | |
| But a-hunting we will go. | 20 |
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| At length his strength to faintness worn, | |
| Poor Reynard ceases flight; | |
| Then, hungry, homeward we return, | |
| To feast away the night. | |
| Then a-drinking we will go. | 25 |
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