Glide soft, ye Silver Floods

4Glide soft, ye silver floods, 5And every spring: 4Within the shady woods 5Let no bird sing! 3Nor from the grove a turtle-dove 3Be seen to couple with her love; But silence on each dale and mountain dwell, Whilst Willy bids his friend and joy farewell. 4But (of great Thetis' train) 5Ye mermaids fair, 4That on the shores do plain 5Your sea-green hair, 3As ye in trammels knit your locks, 3Weep ye; and so enforce the rocks In heavy murmurs through the broad shores tell How Willy bade his friend and joy farewell. 4Cease, cease, ye murd'ring winds, 5To move a wave; 4But if with troubled minds 5You seek his grave; 3Know 'tis as various as yourselves, 3Now in the deep, then on the shelves, His coffin toss'd by fish and surges fell, Whilst Willy weeps and bids all joy farewell. 4Had he Arion-like 5Been judged to drown, 4He on his lute could strike 5So rare a sowne, 3A thousand dolphins would have come 3And jointly strive to bring him home. But he on shipboard died, by sickness fell, Since when his Willy bade all joy farewell. 4Great Neptune, hear a swain! 5His coffin take, 4And with a golden chain 5For pity make 3It fast unto a rock near land! 3Where ev'ry calmy morn I'll stand, And ere one sheep out of my fold I tell, Sad Willy's pipe shall bid his friend farewell.