• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Institute of Australian Culture

Heritage, history, and heroes; literature, legends, and larrikins

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Ephemera
  • Poetry & songs
    • Recommended poetry
    • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
    • Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
    • Rock music and pop music [videos]
    • Early music [videos]
  • Slang
  • Timeline
    • Timeline of Australian history and culture
    • Calendar of Australian history and culture
    • Significant events and commemorative dates
  • Topics

A Rural Wedding [poem by William Blocksidge (William Baylebridge)]

12 March 2021 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This poem by William Blocksidge (also known as William Baylebridge) was published in Songs o’ the South (1908).]

A Rural Wedding

God’s blessing be upon this humble throng —
These rustics gaily joined in festal ring!
How sweet the bride — no flow’ret born in Spring
Is purer, none more fit to grace my song!
God keep her! May all care and may all wrong
Pass by, and touch not here with baleful wing;
And closer may her well-loved Hylas cling
To his fair mate as speed their days along!
Love’s holy angels surely will attend
A maid so gentle and a swain so brave,
And Pleasure give to be their bounden slave,
And all their simple joys with peace defend.
May their two souls in perfect concord blend,
And reap the golden promise morning gave!



Source:
William Blocksidge, Songs o’ the South, London: Watts, 1908, p. 43

Editor’s notes:
baleful = expressing destructive or harmful intentions; displaying a menacing or threatening visage; manifesting an intent of destruction, harm, menace; having a dangerous, destructive, or harmful effect; (archaic) miserable, unhappy, wretched

bounden = beholden, being under an obligation (e.g. a bounden duty), bound morally or compulsory to a responsibility or duty; (archaic) bound, past tense of bind

festal = of, relating to, or characteristic of, a festival, feast, or celebration; festive

flow’ret = floweret: small flower; floret

God keep her = a prayer to keep a female safe, rendered in various ways, e.g. “God keep her in his care”, “God keep her safe” (or “God keep her safe from harm”), “God keep her soul” (regarding males, a similar phraseology is used, with “God keep him”)

Hylas = in Greek mythology, Hylas was an arms bearer and companion to Heracles; along with Heracles, Hylas was one of the Argonauts, but he was abducted by female water nymphs, after they became infatuated with him, and he was never seen again

maid = maiden, young woman, young female (may also refer to a female servant)

rustics = country people, rural folk (from rustic: of or relating to the countryside or rural areas; plain, rough, or simple in appearance or fashion; something typical of rural places or of the countryside; lacking refined etiquette or social graces; characteristic of or resembling rural people)

swain = a young male admirer, lover, or suitor; also may refer to a country lad, peasant, or shepherd

Filed Under: poetry Tagged With: poem, Songs o’ the South (William Blocksidge 1908), SourceSLV, William Baylebridge (1883-1942) (author), William Blocksidge (1883-1942) (author), year1908

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Australian flag, Kangaroo, Wattle, 100hThe Institute of Australian Culture
Heritage, history, and heroes. Literature, legends, and larrikins. Stories, songs, and sages.

Search this site

Featured books

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, by Banjo Paterson A Book for Kids, by C. J. Dennis  The Bulletin Reciter: A Collection of Verses for Recitation from The Bulletin The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Dennis The Complete Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers, by J. J. Kenneally The Foundations of Culture in Australia, by P. R. Stephensen The Australian Crisis, by C. H. Kirmess Such Is Life, by Joseph Furphy
More books (full text)

Featured lists

Timeline of Australian history and culture
A list of significant Australiana
Significant events and commemorative dates
Australian slang
Books (full text)
Australian literature
Rock music and pop music (videos)
Folk music and bush music (videos)
Early music (videos)
Recommended poetry
Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
Australian explorers
Topics
Links

Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger
Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

Some Australian authors

E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
C. J. Dennis
Mary Hannay Foott
Joseph Furphy
Mary Gilmore
Charles Harpur
Grant Hervey
Lucy Everett Homfray
Rex Ingamells
Henry Kendall
“Kookaburra”
Henry Lawson
Jack Moses
“Dryblower” Murphy
John Shaw Neilson
John O’Brien (Patrick Joseph Hartigan)
“Banjo” Paterson
Marie E. J. Pitt
A. G. Stephens
P. R. Stephensen
Agnes L. Storrie (Agnes L. Kettlewell)

Recent Posts

  • To Australia [poem by Ruby Jean Stephenson, 18 November 1943]
  • [General news items] [4 April 1912]
  • [Australia has had more than its share of shipping disasters of late] [4 April 1912]
  • [Probably Professor Marshall Hall was right] [4 April 1912]
  • Gold-seekers of the Fifties [1 July 1899]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Taking His Chance [poem by Henry Lawson]
  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
  • Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
  • Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]

Archives

Categories

Posts of note

The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
Click Go the Shears [traditional Australian song, 1890s]
Core of My Heart [“My Country”, poem by Dorothea Mackellar, 24 October 1908]
Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
Nationality [poem by Mary Gilmore, 12 May 1942]
The Newcastle song [music video, sung by Bob Hudson]
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
Shooting the moon [short story by Henry Lawson]

Recent Comments

  • IAC on How M’Ginnis Went Missing [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • Stephen on How M’Ginnis Went Missing [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • IAC on The late Louisa Lawson [by George Black, 2 October 1920]
  • Percy Delouche on Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
  • Phil on The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]

For Australia

Copyright © 2023 · Log in