May

WELCOME, rosy-tinted May,
Thy presence shall each cloud dispel;
Thy smiles the tedious hours repay,
Spent in Winter's dreary cell.
The village maids shall hail thy dawn,
With Nature's brightest garlands crown'd,
Tripping o'er the verdant lawn,
Dance with joy the mazy round.
The flow'rs with beauty clothe the fields,
From Winter's icy fetters free;
The hawthorn richest odours yields,
Whose blossoms take their name from thee.
The daisy peeps from lowly bed,
The yellow king-cups strew the mead,
The cattle quit the shelt'ring shed;
And in luxuriant pastures feed.
The eye surveys the blooming trees,
The promise of abundance giv'n;
A future crop in prospect sees,
And beams with gratitude to Heav'n.
Then welcome rosy-tinted May,
Thy presence shall each cloud dispel,
Thy smiles the tedious hours repay,
Spent in Winter's dreary cell.