Contentment, hail, thou princely gem

Contentment, hail, thou princely gem, Thou jewel brighter far Than e'er enrich'd a diadem, Or grac'd a monarch's star; With thee I'd court no gilded woe, No splendid, gay distress, No empty pageantry and show, No smiling wretchedness.

Go view the peaceful shepherd's cot, How happy is his fate! Content and poverty his lot, He envies not the great: Delightful scene, where wisdom grows, In ev'ry woody vale; Or where the murm'ring riv'let flows, Enchanting mansion, hail!

'Tis there true happiness is seen, There tumult passions rest; There, while I range the the sylvan scene, My ravish'd soul is blest. Indulgent parent of mankind, From whom all blessings flow, Grant me content and peace of mind, 'Tis all I ask below.