Spring

Spring

BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –        

   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;        

   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush         lush, thrush, brush, rush

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring         wring, sing, fling

The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;             mute: look, to, too

   The glassy pear-tree leaves and blooms, they brush        

   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush        

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.        

What is all this juice and all this joy?        

   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning

In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,                  joy, cloy, boy

   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,         beginning, sinning, winning

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,                   mute: get,it, cloud, Christ, lord,

   Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.         Innocent, mind, most,

Maid, child