I How shall I fly when feathers be not Though all my wishes do attend? How tie my wounded heartstrings to thine So thou to me, sun to moon, descend? Or if thou wilt not bend thy starry Wishing to thy brow o'ercrowned with mist rise so that thy place shall stay the same But will not then depart heights unkiss'd For bargains may be struck and kept pride When lovers from their demands ne'er hide.
II My lover's are darker than the moon Or are they brighter? I decide His tender voice other's out of tune And shows me how I cannot abide His movements are of more than feline His hands are and pale as ivory And though I've rarely a stranger face More perfect looks I abhor to see For may be pleasanter in part But all my love a work of art.
III How is it that I smile I am sad? From what resource do I derive this I've none 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 him to whom I swore that I belonged Alas, I blame as though he untrue I loved him but, poor fool, he knew.
IV If all you I am, as I am quite, Then why dost thou not love? thou not see A plainly match? If thou art bright, Then why, when dost love, love'st thou not me Instead preferring far removed From all you to most admire? I would Commit you as a lunatic if Thus mad you were my ward for own good And yet I'm making light of my own Because I love, yet love in vain.