Anne Bradstreet - Autumn

Lyrics

Of Autumn moneths September is the prime Now day and night are equal in each Clime The twelfth of this Sol riseth in the Line And doth in poizing Libra this month shine The vintage now is ripe, the grapes are prest Whose lively liquor oft is curs'd and blest: For nought so good, but it may be abused But its a precious juice when well its used The raisins now in clusters dryed be The Orange, Lemon dangle on the tree: The Pomegranate, the Fig are ripe also And Apples now their yellow sides do show Of Almonds, Quinces, Wardens, and of Peach The season's now at hand of all and each Sure at this time, time first of all began And in this moneth was made apostate Man: For then in Eden was not only seen Boughs full of leaves, or fruits unripe or green Or withered stocks, which were all dry and dead But trees with goodly fruits replenished; Which shews nor Summer, Winter nor the Spring Our Grand-Sire was of Paradice made King: Nor could that temp'rate Clime such difference make If scited as the most Judicious take October is my next, we hear in this The Northern winter-blasts begin to hiss In Scorpio resideth now the Sun And his declining heat is almost done The fruitless Trees all withered now do stand Whose sapless yellow leavs, by winds are fan'd Which notes when youth and strength have past their prime Decrepit age must also have its time The Sap doth slily creep towards the Earth There rests, until the Sun give it a birth So doth old Age still tend unto his grave Where also he his winter time must have; But when the Sun of righteousness draws nigh His dead old stock, shall mount again on high November is my last, for Time doth haste We now of winters sharpness 'gins to tast This moneth the Sun's in Sagitarius So farre remote, his glances warm not us Almost at shortest is the shorten'd day The Northern pole beholdeth not one ray Now Greenland, Groanland, Finland, Lapland, see No Sun, to lighten their obscurity: Poor wretches that in total darkness lye With minds more dark then is the dark'ned Sky Beaf, Brawn, and Pork are now in great request And solid meats our stomacks can digest This time warm cloaths, full diet, and good fires Our pinched flesh, and hungry mawes requires: Old, cold, dry Age and Earth Autumn resembles And Melancholy which most of all dissembles I must be short, and shorts, the short'ned day What winter hath to tell, now let him say