| John Donne (1572–1631). The Poems of John Donne. 1896. | | | | Songs and Sonnets | | The Prohibition |
| | | TAKE heed of loving me; | |
| At least remember, I forbade it thee; | |
| Not that I shall repair my unthrifty waste 1 | |
| Of breath and blood, upon thy sighs and tears, | |
| By being to thee then what to me thou wast; 2 | 5 |
| But so great joy our life at once outwears. | |
| Then, lest thy love by my death frustrate be, | |
| If thou love me, take heed of loving me. | |
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| Take heed of hating me, | |
| Or too much triumph in the victory; | 10 |
| Not that I shall be mine own officer, | |
| And hate with hate again retaliate; | |
| But thou wilt lose the style of conqueror, | |
| If I, thy conquest, perish by thy hate. | |
| Then, lest my being nothing lessen thee, | 15 |
| If thou hate me, take heed of hating me. | |
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| Yet love and hate me too; | |
| So these extremes shall ne’er their office do; | |
| Love me, that I may die the gentler way; | |
| Hate me, because thy love’s too great for me; | 20 |
| Or let these two, themselves, not me, decay; | |
| So shall I live thy stage, 3 not triumph be. | |
| Lest thou thy love and hate, and me undo, 4 | |
| O let me live, yet love and hate 5 me too. | |
| | | Note 1. l. 3. 1669, repay in unthrifty a waste [back] | | Note 2. l. 5. So 1635; 1633, to me then that which thou wast [back] | | Note 3. l. 22. So 1635; 1633, thy stay [back] | | Note 4. l. 23. 1635, Then lest thou thy love hate and me thou undo; 1669, Lest thou thy love, and hate, and me thou undo [back] | | Note 5. l. 24. So 1635; 1633, O! love and hate [back] | | |
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