OH, who would stay indoor, indoor, When the horn is on the hill? (Bugle: Tarantara! Before the sun goes down, goes down, We shall slay the buck of ten; (Bugle: Tarantara! And the priest shall say benison, and we shall ha'e venison, When we come home again. Let him that loves his ease, his ease, Keep close and house him fair; (Bugle: Tarantara! He'll still be a stranger to the merry thrill of danger But he that loves the hills, the hills, Let him come out to-day! (Bugle: Tarantara! For the horses are neighing, and the hounds are baying, Richard Hovey [1864-1900] 'A-HUNTING WE WILL GO” From "Don Quixote in England " THE dusky night rides down the sky, The hounds all join in glorious cry, The huntsman winds his horn. And a-hunting we will go. The wife around her husband throws You cannot hunt to-day." Yet a-hunting we will go. Away they fly to 'scape the rout, Yet a-hunting we will go. Sly Reynard now like lightning flies, And when the hounds too near he spies, He drops his bushy tail. Then a-hunting we will go. Fond Echo seems to like the sport, And join the jovial cry; The woods, the hills, the sound retort, And music fills the sky, When a-hunting we do go. At last his strength to faintness worn, To feast away the night. And a-drinking we do go. Ye jovial hunters, in the morn When a-hunting we do go. HUNTING SONG WAKEN, lords and ladies gay, On the mountain dawns the day; All the jolly chase is here, With hawk and horse and hunting-spear! Hounds are in their couples yelling, Hawks are whistling, horns are knelling, Merrily, merrily, mingle they, "Waken, lords and ladies gay." The Angler's Invitation Waken, lords and ladies gay, The mist has left the mountain gray, Waken, lords and ladies gay, We can show the marks he made Louder, louder chant the lay, Waken, lords and ladies gay! Time, stern hunstman! who can balk, Think of this, and rise with day, Gentle lords and ladies gay! 1615 Walter Scott [1771-1832] THE ANGLER'S INVITATION COME when the leaf comes, angle with me, Come with the wild flowers Come with the wild showers Come when the singing bird calleth for thee! Then to the stream side, gladly we'll hie, Over the hill face Hurrying onward, drop the light fly. Then, when the dew falls, homeward we'll speed Holding our night mirth, We'll drink to sweet friendship in need and in deed. Thomas Tod Stoddart [1810-1880] THE ANGLER'S WISH From "The Complete Angler " I IN these flowery meads would be, Sit here, and see the turtle-dove Or, on that bank, feel the west-wind Or a laverock build her nest; Here, give my weary spirits rest, And raise my low-pitched thoughts above Thus, free from lawsuits, and the noise Or, with my Bryan and a book, And angle on; and beg to have Izaac Walton [1593-1683] |