What shall I liken unto thee?
A lily bright,
Whose virgin purity and grace
Fulfils the soul, as doth thy face,
With all delight.
What shall I liken unto thee?
A blushing rose,
Which, redolent of fragrance rare,
Half opened to the summer air,
All sweetness grows.
What shall I liken unto thee?
Some glorious star,
Which, hung aloft at eventide,
Sheds its mild radiance every side,
Both near and far.
No! such comparison is vain.
For these all three,
Lily, and star,- and rose so fair,
In radiance, grace, and sweetness rare
Must yield to thee.
