The Night Piece, to Julia / Herrick

The Night Piece, to Julia  (1648)  by Robert Herrick

from Hesperides, 1648

Herrick's Julia. Drawing by George Wharton Edwards (1859-1950), from A Book of Old English Love Songs, 1897. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The Night Piece, to Julia

Her eyes the glow-worm lend thee,
The shooting stars attend thee;
And the elves also,
Whose little eyes glow
Like the sparks of fire, befriend thee.

No Will-o'-the-Wisp mislight thee,
Nor snake or slow-worm bite thee;
But on, on thy way,
Not making a say,
Since ghost there's not to affright thee.

Let not the dark thee cumber:
What though the moon does slumber?
The stars of the night
Will lend thee their light
Like tapers clear without number.

Then, Julia, let me woo thee,
Thus, thus to come unto me;
And when I shall meet
Thy silv'ry feet
My soul I'll pour into thee.

See also

• Other poems by Herrick

This poem is in the public domain