Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume II. Love. 1904. | | | | II. Love’s Nature | | Wishes for the Supposed Mistress | | Richard Crashaw (c. 1613–1649) |
| | | WHOE’ER she be, | |
| That not impossible She | |
| That shall command my heart and me: | |
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| Where’er she lie, | |
| Locked up from mortal eye | 5 |
| In shady leaves of destiny: | |
| |
| Till that ripe birth | |
| Of studied Fate stand forth, | |
| And teach her fair steps tread our earth; | |
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| Till that divine | 10 |
| Idea take a shrine | |
| Of crystal flesh, through which to shine: | |
| |
| —Meet you her, my Wishes, | |
| Bespeak her to my blisses, | |
| And be ye called, my absent kisses. | 15 |
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| I wish her beauty | |
| That owes not all its duty | |
| To gaudy tire, or glistering shoe-tie: | |
| |
| Something more than | |
| Taffata or tissue can, | 20 |
| Or rampant feather, or rich fan. | |
| |
| A face that’s best | |
| By its own beauty drest, | |
| And can alone commend the rest: | |
| |
| A face made up | 25 |
| Out of no other shop | |
| Than what Nature’s white hand sets ope. | |
| |
| Sidneian showers | |
| Of sweet discourse, whose powers | |
| Can crown old Winter’s head with flowers. | 30 |
| |
| Whate’er delight | |
| Can make day’s forehead bright | |
| Or give down to the wings of night. | |
| |
| Soft silken hours, | |
| Open suns, shady bowers; | 35 |
| ’Bove all, nothing within that lowers. | |
| |
| Days, that need borrow | |
| No part of their good morrow | |
| From a fore-spent night of sorrow: | |
| |
| Days, that in spite | 40 |
| Of darkness, by the light | |
| Of a clear mind are day all night. | |
| |
| Life that dares send | |
| A challenge to his end, | |
| And when it comes, say, “Welcome, friend.” | 45 |
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| I wish her store | |
| Of worth may leave her poor | |
| Of wishes; and I wish—no more. | |
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| Now, if Time knows | |
| That Her, whose radiant brows | 50 |
| Weave them a garland of my vows; | |
| |
| Her that dares be | |
| What these lines wish to see: | |
| I seek no further, it is She. | |
| |
| ’T is She, and here | 55 |
| Lo! I unclothe and clear | |
| My wishes’ cloudy character. | |
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| Such worth as this is | |
| Shall fix my flying wishes, | |
| And determine them to kisses. | 60 |
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| Let her full glory, | |
| My fancies, fly before ye; | |
| Be ye my fictions:—but her story. | | | | |
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