Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Sir Philip Sidney. 15548689. Song
WHO hath his fancy pleasèd | |
With fruits of happy sight, | |
Let here his eyes be raisèd | |
On Nature’s sweetest light; | |
A light which doth dissever | 5 |
And yet unite the eyes, | |
A light which, dying never, | |
Is cause the looker dies. | |
She never dies, but lasteth | |
In life of lover’s heart; | 10 |
He ever dies that wasteth | |
In love his chiefest part: | |
Thus is her life still guarded | |
In never-dying faith; | |
Thus is his death rewarded, | 15 |
Since she lives in his death. | |
Look then, and die! The pleasure | |
Doth answer well the pain: | |
Small loss of mortal treasure, | |
Who may immortal gain! | 20 |
Immortal be her graces, | |
Immortal is her mind; | |
They, fit for heavenly places— | |
This, heaven in it doth bind. | |
But eyes these beauties see not, | 25 |
Nor sense that grace descries; | |
Yet eyes deprivèd be not | |
From sight of her fair eyes— | |
Which, as of inward glory | |
They are the outward seal, | 30 |
So may they live still sorry, | |
Which die not in that weal. | |
But who hath fancies pleasèd | |
With fruits of happy sight, | |
Let here his eyes be raisèd | 35 |
On Nature’s sweetest light! |