Living

The Happy Heart

by Thomas Dekker d. 1638?

From The Golden Treasury, ed. F. T. Palgrave (1861)

Living

Art thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers?
O sweet content!
Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplexéd?
O punishment!
Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vexéd
To add to golden numbers, golden numbers?
O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content!
Work apace, apace, apace, apace;
Honest labour bears a lovely face;
Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny!

Canst drink the waters of the crispéd spring?
O sweet content!
Swimm'st thou in wealth, yet sink'st in thine own tears?
O punishment!
Then he that patiently want's burden bears,
No burden bears, but is a king, a king!
O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content!
Work apace, apace, apace, apace;
Honest labour bears a lovely face;
Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny!

MLA

Dekker, Thomas. “The Happy Heart.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/dekker/0/.

Chicago

Dekker, Thomas. “The Happy Heart.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/dekker/0/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Thomas Dekker