William Blake, Songs of Innocence: Laughing Song

When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by,
When the air does laugh with our merry wit,
4
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it.
When the meadows laugh with lively green
And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene.
When Mary and Susan and Emily.
8
With their sweet round mouths sing Ha, Ha, He.
When the painted birds laugh in the shade
Where our table with cherries and nuts is spread. [*]
Come live & be merry and join with me,
12
To sing the sweet chorus of Ha, Ha, He.

Notes

line 10: In the facsimile, the last clear letters are "spre", with a following "a" partly visible. [ Back to text ]