Love

Adieu!

by John Clare 1793–1864

From Poems, ed. Arthur Symons (1908)

Love

ADIEU, my love, adieu!
Be constant and be true
As the daisies gemmed with dew,
Bonny maid.'

The cows their thirst were slaking,
Trees the playful winds were shaking;
Sweet songs the birds were making
In the shade.

The moss upon the tree
Was as green as green could be,
The clover on the lea
Ruddy glowed;

Leaves were silver with the dew,
Where the tall sowthistles grew,
And I bade the maid adieu
On the road.

Then I took myself to sea,
While the little chiming bee
Sung his ballad on the lea,
Humming sweet;
And the red-winged butterfly
Was sailing through the sky,
Skimming up and bouncing by
Near my feet.

I left the little birds,
And sweet lowing of the herds,
And couldn't find out words,
Do you see,
To say to them good-bye,
Where the yellow cups do lie;
So heaving a deep sigh,
Took to sea.

MLA

Clare, John. “Adieu!” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/clare/392/.

Chicago

Clare, John. “Adieu!” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/clare/392/.

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