English Poetry. Robert Herrick. The Invitation. Роберт Геррик (Херрик).

Robert Herrick (Роберт Геррик (Херрик))

The Invitation

To sup with thee thou didst me home invite,
And mad'st a promise that mine appetite
Should meet and tire, on such lautitious meat,
The like not Heliogabalus did eat:
And richer wine would'st give to me, thy guest,
Than Roman Sylla pour'd out at his feast.
I came, 'tis true, and look'd for fowl of price,
The bastard Phoenix; bird of Paradise;
And for no less than aromatic wine
Of maidens-blush, commix'd with jessamine.
Clean was the hearth, the mantle larded jet,
Which, wanting Lar and smoke, hung weeping wet;
At last i' th' noon of winter, did appear
A ragg'd soused neats-foot, with sick vinegar;
And in a burnish'd flagonet, stood by
Beer small as comfort, dead as charity.
At which amazed, and pond'ring on the food,
How cold it was, and how it chill'd my blood,
I curst the master, and I damn'd the souce,
And swore I'd got the ague of the house.
—Well, when to eat thou dost me next desire,
I'll bring a fever, since thou keep'st no fire.

Robert Herrick’s other poems:

1. The Present Time Best Pleaseth
2. A Paranaeticall, or Advisive Verse to His Friend, Mr John Wicks
3. The Rock of Rubies, and the Quarry of Pearls
4. Upon Julia’s Recovery
5. To His Mistress, Objecting to Him Neither Toying or Talking

Poems of other poets with the same name (Стихотворения других поэтов с таким же названием):

Percy Shelley (Перси Шелли) The Invitation (“BEST and brightest, come away!”)

Robert Bloomfield (Роберт Блумфилд) The Invitation (“O for the strength to paint my joy once more!”)

Thomas Dekker (Томас Деккер) The Invitation (“LIVE with me still, and all the measures”)

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