| EV’N like two little bank-dividing brooks, | |
| That wash the pebbles with their wanton streams, | |
| And having rang’d and search’d a thousand nooks, | |
| Meet both at length in silver-breasted Thames, | |
| Where in a greater current they conjoin: | 5 |
| So I my best-beloved’s am; so he is mine. | |
| |
| Ev’n so we met; and after long pursuit, | |
| Ev’n so we joyn’d; we both became entire; | |
| No need for either to renew a suit, | |
| For I was flax and he was flames of fire: | 10 |
| Our firm-united souls did more than twine; | |
| So I my best-beloved’s am; so he is mine. | |
| |
| If all those glitt’ring Monarchs that command | |
| The servile quarters of this earthly ball, | |
| Should tender, in exchange, their shares of land, | 15 |
| I would not change my fortunes for them all: | |
| Their wealth is but a counter to my coin: | |
| The world’s but theirs; but my beloved’s mine. | |
| |
| Nay, more; If the fair Thespian Ladies all | |
| Should heap together their diviner treasure: | 20 |
| That treasure should be deem’d a price too small | |
| To buy a minute’s lease of half my pleasure; | |
| ’Tis not the sacred wealth of all the nine | |
| Can buy my heart from him, or his, from being mine. | |
| |
| Nor Time, nor Place, nor Chance, nor Death can bow | 25 |
| My least desires unto the least remove; | |
| He’s firmly mine by oath; I his by vow; | |
| He’s mine by faith; and I am his by love; | |
| He’s mine by water; I am his by wine, | |
| Thus I my best-beloved’s am; thus he is mine. | 30 |
| |
| He is my Altar; I, his Holy Place; | |
| I am his guest; and he, my living food; | |
| I’m his by penitence; he mine by grace; | |
| I’m his by purchase; he is mine, by blood; | |
| He’s my supporting elm; and I his vine; | 35 |
| Thus I my best beloved’s am; thus he is mine. | |
| |
| He gives me wealth; I give him all my vows: | |
| I give him songs; he gives me length of dayes; | |
| With wreaths of grace he crowns my conqu’ring brows, | |
| And I his temples with a crown of Praise, | 40 |
| Which he accepts as an everlasting signe, | |
| That I my best-beloved’s am; that he is mine. | |
