1 Lo as a careful huswife runs to catch,
Lo! in the orient when the gracious light, Look! in the east when the gracious light, gracious light
2 One of her feathered creatures broke away,
Lifts up his burning head, Lifts up its burning head, burning head
3 Sets down her babe and makes all swift dispatch
By whom the world is all with gloss supplied, By which the world is all with gloss supplied, world supplied
4 In pursuit of the thing she would have stay:
And every shepherd's eye is daily fed; And every shepherd's eye is daily fed; eyes are fed
5 Whilst her neglected child holds her in chase,
But when from highest step of heaven he falls, But when from the highest step of heaven it falls, falls from heaven
6 Cries to catch her whose busy care is bent,
By shadow's black shade covers all the earth, By shadow's black shade covers all the earth, shadow covers
7 To follow that which flies before her face:
And in the depth of darkness calls, And in the depth of darkness calls, darkness calls
8 Not prizing her poor infant’s discontent;
His mother's watchful eye to feed her hearth; His mother's watchful eye tends her hearth; mother watches
Volta The volta shifts from the comparison (lines 1–8) to direct address to the beloved (lines 9–14), making the analogy personal and urgent.
9 So run’st thou after that which flies from thee,
So am I as the rich, whose blessed key, So am I like the rich, whose blessed key, like the rich
10 Whilst I thy babe chase thee afar behind,
Can bring him to his sweet up-locked treasure, Can bring him to his sweet locked treasure, locked treasure
11 But if thou catch thy hope turn back to me:
The which he will not every hour survey, Which he won't examine every hour, not checking
12 And play the mother’s part, kiss me, be kind.
For blunting the fine point of seldom pleasure. To avoid blunting the fine point of rare pleasure. rare pleasure
13 So will I pray that thou mayst have thy Will, wordplay: 'Will' as both petition and name
Therefore are feasts so solemn and so rare, Therefore feasts are so solemn and rare, rare feasts
14 If thou turn back and my loud crying still.
Since, seldom coming, they the better are. Since, coming rarely, they are the better. rarity improves