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But since she pricked thee out for women's pleasure, |
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure. |
21 |
So is it not with me as with that muse, |
Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse, |
Who heaven it self for ornament doth use, |
And every fair with his fair doth rehearse, |
Making a couplement of proud compare |
With sun and moon, with earth and sea's rich gems: |
With April's first-born flowers and all things rare, |
That heaven's air in this huge rondure hems. |
O let me true in love but truly write, |
And then believe me, my love is as fair, |
As any mother's child, though not so bright |
As those gold candles fixed in heaven's air: |
Let them say more that like of hearsay well, |
I will not praise that purpose not to sell. |
22 |
My glass shall not persuade me I am old, |
So long as youth and thou are of one date, |
But when in thee time's furrows I behold, |
Then look I death my days should expiate. |
For all that beauty that doth cover thee, |
Is but the seemly raiment of my heart, |
Which in thy breast doth live, as thine in me, |
How can I then be elder than thou art? |
O therefore love be of thyself so wary, |
As I not for my self, but for thee will, |
Bearing thy heart which I will keep so chary |
As tender nurse her babe from faring ill. |
Presume not on thy heart when mine is slain, |
Thou gav'st me thine not to give back again. |
23 |
As an unperfect actor on the stage, |
Who with his fear is put beside his part, |
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage, |
Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart; |
So I for fear of trust, forget to say, |
The perfect ceremony of love's rite, |
And in mine own love's strength seem to decay, |
O'ercharged with burthen of mine own love's might: |
O let my looks be then the eloquence, |
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast, |
Who plead for love, and look for recompense, |
More than that tongue that more hath more expressed. |
O learn to read what silent love hath writ, |
To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit. |
24 |
Mine eye hath played the painter and hath stelled, |
Thy beauty's form in table of my heart, |
My body is the frame wherein 'tis held, |
And perspective it is best painter's art. |
For through the painter must you see his skill, |
To find where your true image pictured lies, |
Which in my bosom's shop is hanging still, |
That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes: |
Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done, |
Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me |
Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun |
Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee; |
Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art, |
They draw but what they see, know not the heart. |
25 |
Let those who are in favour with their stars, |
Of public honour and proud titles boast, |
Whilst I whom fortune of such triumph bars |
Unlooked for joy in that I honour most; |
Great princes' favourites their fair leaves spread, |
But as the marigold at the sun's eye, |
And in themselves their pride lies buried, |
For at a frown they in their glory die. |
The painful warrior famoused for fight, |
After a thousand victories once foiled, |
Is from the book of honour razed quite, |
And all the rest forgot for which he toiled: |
Then happy I that love and am beloved |
Where I may not remove nor be removed. |
26 |
Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage |
Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit; |
To thee I send this written embassage |
To witness duty, not to show my wit. |
Duty so great, which wit so poor as mine |
May make seem bare, in wanting words to show it; |
But that I hope some good conceit of thine |
In thy soul's thought (all naked) will bestow it: |
Till whatsoever star that guides my moving, |
Points on me graciously with fair aspect, |
And puts apparel on my tattered loving, |
To show me worthy of thy sweet respect, |
Then may I dare to boast how I do love thee, |
Till then, not show my head where thou mayst prove me. |
27 |
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, |
The dear respose for limbs with travel tired, |
But then begins a journey in my head |
To work my mind, when body's work's expired. |
For then my thoughts (from far where I abide) |
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee, |
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide, |
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