Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume II. Love. 1904. | | | | IV. Wooing and Winning | | The Nymph’s Reply | | Sir Walter Raleigh (1554?–1618) |
| | | IF all the world and love were young, | |
| And truth in every shepherd’s tongue, | |
| These pretty pleasures might me move | |
| To live with thee, and be thy love. | |
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| Time drives the flocks from field to fold, | 5 |
| When rivers rage and rocks grow cold; | |
| And Philomel becometh dumb, | |
| The rest complain of cares to come. | |
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| The flowers do fade, and wanton fields | |
| To wayward winter reckoning yields; | 10 |
| A honey tongue, a heart of gall, | |
| Is fancy’s spring, but sorrow’s fall. | |
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| Thy gown, thy shoes, thy beds of roses, | |
| Thy cap, the kirtle, and thy posies, | |
| Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten, | 15 |
| In folly ripe, in reason rotten. | |
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| Thy belt of straw and ivy buds, | |
| Thy coral clasps and amber studs; | |
| All these in me no means can move | |
| To come to thee and be thy love. | 20 |
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| But could youth last, and love still breed, | |
| Had joys no date, nor age no need, | |
| Then these delights my mind might move | |
| To live with thee and be thy love. | | | | |
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