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SONNETS TO SUNDRY NOTES OF MUSIC
SONNETS TO SUNDRY NOTES OF MUSIC WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE SONNETS TO SUNDRY NOTES OF MUSIC
by William Shakespeare
I.
It was a lording's daughter the fairest one of three
That liked of her master as well as well might be.
Till looking on an Englishman the fair'st that eye could see
Her fancy fell a-turning.
Long was the combat doubtful that love with love did fight
To leave the master loveless or kill the gallant knight;
To put in practice either alas it was a spite
Unto the silly damsel!
But one must be refused more mickle was the pain
That nothing could be used to turn them both to gain
For of the two the trusty knight was wounded with disdain:
Alas she could not help it!
Thus art with arms contending was victor of the day
Which by a gift of learnlng did bear the maid away;
Then lullaby the learned man hath got the lady gay;
For now my song is ended.
II.
On a day (alack the day!)
Love whose month was ever May
Spied a blossom passing fair
Playing in the wanton air:
Through the velvet leaves the wind
All unseen 'gan passage find;
That the lover sick to death
Wish'd himself the heaven's breath.
Air quoth he thy cheeks may blow;
Air would I might triumph so!
But alas! my hand hath sworn
Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn:
Vow alack for youth unmeet
Youth so apt to pluck a sweet
Thou for whom Jove would swear
Juno but an Ethiope were;
And deny himself for Jove
Turning mortal for thy love.
III.
My flocks feed not
My ewes breed not
My rams speed not
All is amiss:
Love is dying
Faith's defying
Heart's denying
Causer of this.
All my merry jigs are quite forgot
All my lady's love is lost God wot:
Where her faith was firmly fix'd in love
There a nay is plac'd without remove.
One silly cross
Wrought all my loss;
O frowning Fortune cursed fickle dame!
For now I see
Inconstancy
More in women than in men remain.
In black mourn I
All fears scorn I
Love bath forlorn me
Living in thrall:
Heart is bleeding
All help needing
(O cruel speeding!)
Fraughted with gall.
My shepherd's pipe can sound no deal
My wether's bell rings doleful knell;
My curtail dog that wont to have play'd
Plays not at all but seems afraid;
With sighs so deep
Procures to weep
In howling-wise to see my doleful plight.
How sighs resound
Through heartless ground
Like a thousand vanquish'd men in bloody fight!
Clear wells spring not
Sweet birds sing not
Green plants bring not
Forth; they die;
Herds stand weeping
Flocks all sleeping
Nymphs back peeping
Fearfully.
All our pleasure known to us poor swains
All our merry meetings on the plains
All our evening sport from us is fled
All our love is lost for Love is dead.
Farewell sweet lass
Thy like ne'er was
For a sweet content the cause of all my moan:
Poor Coridon
Must live alone
Other help for him I see that there is none.
IV.
When as thine eye hath chose the dame
And stall'd the deer that thou shouldst strike
Let reason rule things worthy blame
As well as fancy partial might:
Take counsel of some wiser head
Neither too young nor yet unwed.
And when thou com'st thy tale to tell
Smooth not thy tongue with filed talk
Lest she some subtle practice smell
(A cripple soon can find a halt:)
But plainly say thou lov'st her well
And set thy person forth to sell.
What though her frowning brows be bent
Her cloudy looks will calm ere night;
And then too late she will repent
That thus dissembled her delight;
And twice desire ere it be day
That which with scorn she put away.
What though she strive to try her strength
And ban and brawl and say thee nay
Her feeble force will yield at length
When craft hath taught her thus to say:
'Had women been so strong as men
In faith you had not had it then.'
And to her will frame all thy ways;
Spare not to spend--and chiefly there
Where thy desert may merit praise
By ringing in thy lady's ear:
The strongest castle tower and town
The golden bullet beats it down.
Serve always with assured trust
And in thy suit be humble true;
Unless thy lady prove unjust
Press never thou to choose anew:
When time shall serve be thou not slack
To proffer though she put thee back.
The wiles and guiles that women work
Dissembled with an outward show
The tricks and toys that in them lurk
The cock that treads them shall not know.
Have you not heard it said full oft
A woman's nay doth stand for naught?
Think women still to strive with men
To sin and never for to saint:
There is no heaven by holy then
When time with age doth them attaint.
Were kisses all the joys in bed
One woman would another wed.
But soft! enough--too much I fear;
Lest that my mistress hear my song;
She'll not stick to round me i' the ear
To teach my tongue to be so long:
Yet will she blush here be it said
To hear her secrets so bewray'd.
V.
Live with me and be my love
And we will all the pleasures prove
That hills and valleys dales and fields
And all the craggy mountains yields.
There will we sit upon the rocks
And see the shepherds feed their flocks
By shallow rivers by whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.
There will I make thee a bed of roses
With a thousand fragrant posies
A cap of flowers and a kirtle
Embroider'd all with leaves of myrtle.
A belt of straw and ivy buds
With coral clasps and amber studs;
And if these pleasures may thee move
Then live with me and be my love.
LOVE'S ANSWER.
If that 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.
VI.
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