| |
| O DEAR 1 life, when shall it be | |
| That mine eyes thine eyes shall see, | |
| And in them thy mind discover, | |
| Whether absence have had force | |
| Thy remembrance to divorce | 5 |
| From the image of the lover? | |
| |
| Or if I myself find not, | |
| After parting, aught forgot, 2 | |
| Nor debarred from Beauty’s treasure, | |
| Let no tongue aspire to tell | 10 |
| In what high joys I shall dwell: | |
| Only Thought aims at the pleasure. | |
| |
| Thought, therefore, I will send thee | |
| To take up the place for me; | |
| Long I will not after tarry; | 15 |
| There, unseen, thou may’st be bold, | |
| Those fair wonders to behold, | |
| Which in them my hopes do carry. | |
| |
| Thought, see thou no place forbear, | |
| Enter bravely everywhere, | 20 |
| Seize on all to her belonging; | |
| But if thou wouldst guarded be, | |
| Fearing her beams, take with thee | |
| Strength of liking, rage of longing. | |
| |
| Think of that most grateful time | 25 |
| When my leaping heart will climb | |
| In thy lips to have his biding, | |
| There those roses for to kiss, | |
| Which do breathe a sugared bliss | |
| Opening rubies, pearls dividing. | 30 |
| |
| Think of my most princely power | |
| When I blessèd shall devour | |
| With my greedy lickorous senses | |
| Beauty, music, sweetness, love, | |
| While she doth against me prove | 35 |
| Her strong darts but weak defences. | |
| |
| Think, think of those dallyings, | |
| When with dovelike murmurings, | |
| With glad moaning, passèd anguish, | |
| We change eyes, and heart for heart | 40 |
| Each to other do depart, | |
| Joying till joy makes us languish. | |
| |
| O my Thought, my thoughts surcease, | |
| Thy delights my woes increase, | |
| My life melts 3 with too much thinking; | 45 |
| Think no more, but die in me, | |
| Till thou shalt revivèd 4 be, | |
| At her lips my nectar drinking. | |
