Love
The lowest trees have tops, the ant her gall
From Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. A. H. Bullen (London: Nimmo, 1891)
The lowest trees have tops, the ant her gall,
The fly her spleen, the little spark his heat;
And slender hairs cast shadows, though but small,
And bees have stings, although they be not great;
Seas have their source, and so have shallow springs;
And love is love, in beggars and in kings!
Where waters smoothest run, deep are the fords;
The dial stirs, yet none perceives it move;
The firmest faith is in the fewest words;
The turtles cannot sing, and yet they love;
True hearts have eyes and ears, no tongues to speak;
They hear, and see, and sigh, and then they break!
Codex Note
From John Dowland's Third and last Book of Songs and Airs, 1603.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “The lowest trees have tops, the ant her gall.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/137/.
Chicago
Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “The lowest trees have tops, the ant her gall.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/137/.
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