Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Anonymous. 17th Cent.391. Love will find out the Way
OVER the mountains | |
And over the waves, | |
Under the fountains | |
And under the graves; | |
Under floods that are deepest, | 5 |
Which Neptune obey, | |
Over rocks that are steepest, | |
Love will find out the way. | |
When there is no place | |
For the glow-worm to lie, | 10 |
When there is no space | |
For receipt of a fly; | |
When the midge dares not venture | |
Lest herself fast she lay, | |
If Love come, he will enter | 15 |
And will find out the way. | |
You may esteem him | |
A child for his might; | |
Or you may deem him | |
A coward for his flight; | 20 |
But if she whom Love doth honour | |
Be conceal’d from the day— | |
Set a thousand guards upon her, | |
Love will find out the way. | |
Some think to lose him | 25 |
By having him confined; | |
And some do suppose him, | |
Poor heart! to be blind; | |
But if ne’er so close ye wall him, | |
Do the best that ye may, | 30 |
Blind Love, if so ye call him, | |
He will find out his way. | |
You may train the eagle | |
To stoop to your fist; | |
Or you may inveigle | 35 |
The Phoenix of the east; | |
The lioness, you may move her | |
To give over her prey; | |
But you’ll ne’er stop a lover— | |
He will find out the way. | 40 |
If the earth it should part him, | |
He would gallop it o’er; | |
If the seas should o’erthwart him, | |
He would swim to the shore; | |
Should his Love become a swallow, | 45 |
Through the air to stray, | |
Love will lend wings to follow, | |
And will find out the way. | |
There is no striving | |
To cross his intent; | 50 |
There is no contriving | |
His plots to prevent; | |
But if once the message greet him | |
That his True Love doth stay, | |
If Death should come and meet him, | 55 |
Love will find out the way! |