I How shall I fly when be not mine Though all my wishes skyward do How tie my wounded heartstrings to thine So thou to me, like sun to moon, Or if thou wilt not bend thy starry Wishing to keep thy o'ercrowned with mist I'll rise so thy place shall stay the same But will not depart from heights unkiss'd For bargains may be struck and kept with When lovers from their just demands hide.
II My lover's eyes are darker than the Or are they brighter? I decide His tender voice other's out of tune And shows me how I cannot them His movements are of more than feline His hands are and pale as ivory And though I've rarely seen a face More perfect I should abhor to see For others may be in part But all my love a work of art.
III How is it that I smile I am sad? From resource do I derive this strength? I've lost but a thing I never had To it would I go to any length But distance is not measured in a So I could weep and say that been wronged And yet, as ever, be so far From him to whom I swore I belonged Alas, I blame as though he were I loved him but, fool, he never knew.
IV If all you I am, as I am quite, why dost thou not love? Dost thou not see A plainly perfect If thou art bright, Then why, when dost love, love'st thou not me Instead someone far removed From all you claim to most I would you as a lunatic if proved Thus mad you were my for your own good And yet I'm light of my own pain Because I love, yet love in vain.