Love
What poor astronomers are they
From Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. A. H. Bullen (London: Nimmo, 1891)
What poor astronomers are they,
Take women's eyes for stars!
And set their thoughts in battle 'ray,
To fight such idle wars;
When in the end they shall approve
'Tis but a jest drawn out of Love.
And Love itself is but a jest
Devised by idle heads,
To catch young Fancies in the nest,
And lay them in fool's beds;
That being hatched in beauty's eyes
They may be fledged ere they be wise.
But yet it is a sport to see,
How Wit will run on wheels!
While Wit cannot persuaded be,
With that which Reason feels,
That women's eyes and stars are odd
And Love is but a feigned god!
But such as will run mad with Will,
I cannot clear their sight
But leave them to their study still,
To look where is no light!
Till time too late, we make them try,
They study false Astronomy!
Codex Note
From John Dowland's Third and Last Book of Songs or Airs, 1603.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “What poor astronomers are they.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/171/.
Chicago
Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “What poor astronomers are they.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/171/.
Read this poem with the Codex →