THE REDBREAST CHASING THE BUTTERFLY [A]

Composed April 18, 1802.—­Published 1807

[Observed, as described, in the then beautiful orchard, Town-end, Grasmere.—­I.F.]

Included among the “Poems of the Fancy.”

In some editions this poem is assigned to the year 1806; but, in Dorothy Wordsworth’s Journal the following occurs, under date “Sunday, 18th” (April 1802): 

“A mild grey morning with rising vapours.  We sate in the orchard.  William wrote the poem on the Robin and the Butterfly....  W. met me at Rydal with the conclusion of the poem to the Robin.  I read it to him in bed.  We left out some lines.”

Ed.

  Art thou the bird whom Man loves best,
  The pious bird [B] with the scarlet breast,
    Our little English Robin;
  The bird that comes about our doors
  When Autumn-winds are sobbing? 5
  Art thou the Peter of Norway Boors? 
    Their Thomas in Finland,
    And Russia far inland? 
  The bird, that [1] by some name or other
  All men who know thee call their brother, 10
  The darling of children and men? 
  Could Father Adam [C] open his eyes
  And see this sight beneath the skies,
  He’d wish to close them again. 
—­If the Butterfly knew but his friend, 15
  Hither his flight he would bend;
  And find his way to me,
  Under the branches of the tree: 
  In and out, he darts about;
  Can this be the bird, to man so good, 20
  That, after their bewildering, [2]
  Covered [3] with leaves the little children,
    So painfully in the wood?

  What ailed thee, Robin, that thou could’st pursue
    A beautiful creature, 25
  That is gentle by nature? 
  Beneath the summer sky
  From flower to flower let him fly;
  ’Tis all that he wishes to do. 
  The cheerer Thou of our in-door sadness, 30
  He is the friend of our summer gladness: 
  What hinders, then, that ye should be
  Playmates in the sunny weather,
  And fly about in the air together! 
  His beautiful wings in crimson are drest, 35
  A crimson as bright as thine own:  [4]
  Would’st thou be [5] happy in thy nest,
  O pious Bird! whom man loves best,
  Love him, or leave him alone!

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1: 

1849.

  ... whom ... 1807.

  ... who ... 1827.]

[Variant 2: 

1815.

  In and out, he darts about;
  His little heart is throbbing: 
  Can this be the Bird, to man so good,
    Our consecrated Robin! 
  That, after ... 1807.