English

WHEREIN LOVE MUST COUNSEL SOME CHANGE WITHOUT DELAY

Love must advise me newly and that soon
For he has wrought upon my soul a snare,
Such terror and such anguish fasten there
That, though desire increases, hope is strewn.
Baffled and solitary, both by noon
And night the tears of an immense despair
Burn, and my feet go wildly everywhere
Lacking her hand this many a heavy moon.
I dream our hands touch; but alas, she lies
Under much earth, or else through heaven stares
Upon my heart, but not upon mine eyes:

WHEREIN NIGHT WITH HER GIFT OF SLEEP VISITS ALL SAVE HIM

It is the vigil dark-eyed silence keeps
By earth and heaven: each bird, each beast in chains
Of silk reposes; Night's black chariot reins
Glitter with stars; the waveless water sleeps.
I wake, brood, burn, shed tears: and though love weeps,
Its one dear reason still the heart retains;
War is the portion no grief, no wrath drains,
But in the thought of her a solace creeps.
Ah me! that sweet and bitter nourishment,
Strange twins, from one bright quenchless fountain come;

WHEREIN HE APOSTROPHIZES THE SPOT WHERE LAURA FIRST SALUIED HIM

Ah, blessedest plot of earth! In this dear space
Love first observed my lovely Lady bend
Her golden head, and pause, and condescend
To smile on me and fill the air with grace.
The rigorous image Time shall quite efface
From triple-tortured adamant — but rend
That smile from my soul's centre, God forfend!
That smile so cherished in its holy place!
As often as I visit this proud shrine
I shall search out the moth-prints of her feet

PSALM XLIII .

Judica me, Deus.

1.

Judg of all, judg me,
And protector bee
Of my cause, oppressed
Of most cruel sprites;
Saue me from bad wights
In false colours dressed.

2.

For, my God, Thy sight
Giveth me my might;
Why then hast Thou left me?
Why walk I in woes,

PSAIM XLII .

Qucmadmodum.

1.

As the chased hart, which brayeth
Seeking some refreshing brook,
So my soul in panting playeth,
Thirsting on my God to look.
My soul thirsts indeed in mee
After ever living Thee;
Ah, when comes my blessed being,
Of Thy face to haue a seing

2.

Daye and night my teares out flowing

PSAIM XLI .

Beatus qui intelligit.

1.

He blessed is who with wise temper can
Judg of th' afflicted man,
For God shall him deliver in the time
When most his troubles clime.
The Lord will keep his life yet safe and sound
With blessings of the ground;
And will not him unto the will expose
Of them that be his foes.

2.

When bedd, from rest, becomes his seat of woe,

PLALM XI .

Expectans expectavi.

1.

While long I did, with patient constancy,
The pleasure of my God attend,
He did Himself to me-ward bend,
And harkned how and why that I did cry.
And me from pitt bemir'd,
From dungeon He retir'd,
Where I in horrors lay;

PSALM XXXIX .

Dixi, custodiam.

1.

Thus did I think, I well will mark my way,
Least by my tongue I hap to stray;
I muzzle will my mouth while in the sight
I do abide of wicked wight.
And so I nothing said, I muet stood,
I silence kept, ev'n in the good.

2.

But still the more that I did hold my peace,
The more my sorrow did encrease;

PSALM XXXVII .

Noli aemulari.

1.

Frete not thy self if thou do see
That wicked men do seeme to flourish;
Nor envy in thy bosome nourish,
Though ill deeds well-succeeding be.

2.

They soone shall be cutt down like grasse,
And wither like green herb or flower;
Do well, and trust on heavnly power,
Thou shalt haue both good food and place.

3.

PSALM XXXVI .

Dixit injustus.

1.

Me thinks amid my heart I heare
What guilty wickedness doth say,
Which wicked folks do hold so deare:
Ev'n thus it self it doth display,
No feare of God doth once appeare
Before his eyes that doth so stray.

2.

For those same eyes his flatterers be,
Till his known evill do hatred get:
His words deceit, iniquity