XII Crabbed age and youth cannot live together: Youth is nimble, age is lame; Youth is hot and bold, age is weak and cold; Age, I do abhor thee; youth, I do adore thee; Age, I do defy thee: O, sweet shepherd, hie thee, 5 10 XIII Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good; A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower, And as goods lost are seld or never found, So beauty blemish'd once's for ever lost, 5 ΙΟ XIV Good night, good rest. Ah, neither be my share : To descant on the doubts of my decay. Farewell,' quoth she, and come again to-morrow: ' Fare well I could not, for I supp'd with sorrow. Yet at my parting sweetly did she smile, 6 IO XV Lord, how mine eyes throw gazes to the east! While Philomela sits and sings, I sit and mark, For she doth welcome daylight with her ditty, 5 IO Sorrow changed to solace and solace mix'd with sorrow; For why, she sigh'd, and bade me come to-morrow. Were I with her, the night would post too soon; But now are minutes added to the hours; To spite me now, each minute seems a moon; Yet not for me, shine sun to succour flowers! 15 Pack night, peep day; good day, of night now borrow; XVI It was a lording's daughter, the fairest one of three, Long was the combat doubtful that love with love did fight, 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, 10 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 learning did bear the maid away : Then, lullaby, the learned man hath got the lady gay; 15 For now my song is ended. |