| |
| O HAPPY dames! that may embrace | |
| The fruit of your delight, | |
| Help to bewail the woful case | |
| And eke the heavy plight | |
| Of me, that wonted to rejoice | 5 |
| The fortune of my pleasant choice: | |
| Good ladies, help to fill my mourning voice. | |
| |
| In ship, freight with rememberance | |
| Of thoughts and pleasures past, | |
| He sails that hath in governance | 10 |
| My life while it will last: | |
| With scalding sighs, for lack of gale, | |
| Furthering his hope, that is his sail, | |
| Toward me, the swete port of his avail. | |
| |
| Alas! how oft in dreams I see | 15 |
| Those eyes that were my food; | |
| Which sometime so delighted me, | |
| That yet they do me good: | |
| Wherewith I wake with his return | |
| Whose absent flame did make me burn: | 20 |
| But when I find the lack, Lord! how I mourn! | |
| |
| When other lovers in arms across | |
| Rejoice their chief delight, | |
| Drownèd in tears, to mourn my loss | |
| I stand the bitter night | 25 |
| In my window where I may see | |
| Before the winds how the clouds flee: | |
| Lo! what a mariner love hath made me! | |
| |
| And in green waves when the salt flood | |
| Doth rise by rage of wind, | 30 |
| A thousand fancies in that mood | |
| Assail my restless mind. | |
| Alas! now drencheth my sweet foe, | |
| That with the spoil of my heart did go, | |
| And left me; but alas! why did he so? | 35 |
| |
| And when the seas wax calm again | |
| To chase fro me annoy, | |
| My doubtful hope doth cause me pain; | |
| So dread cuts off my joy. | |
| Thus in my wealth mingled with woe | 40 |
| And of each thought a doubt doth grow; | |
| —Now he comes! Will he come? Alas! no, no. | |
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