33
Full many a glorious morning have I seen
Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye,
Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy; 4
Anon permit the basest clouds to ride
With ugly rack on his celestial face,
And from the forlorn world his visage hide,
Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace: 8
Even so my sun one early morn did shine,
With all-triumphant splendour on my brow;
But, out! alack! he was but one hour mine,
The region cloud hath mask'd him from me now. 12
Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth;
Suns of the world may stain when heaven's sun staineth.
34
Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day,
And make me travel forth without my cloak,
To let base clouds o'ertake me in my way,
Hiding thy bravery in their rotten smoke? 4
'Tis not enough that through the cloud thou break,
To dry the rain on my storm-beaten face,
For no man well of such a salve can speak
That heals the wound and cures not the disgrace: 8
Nor can thy shame give physic to my grief;
Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss:
The offender's sorrow lends but weak relief
To him that bears the strong offence's cross. 12
Ah! but those tears are pearl which thy love sheds,
And they are rich and ransom all ill deeds.
2 sovereign eye: eye of a king
6 rack: clouds in the upper air
8 disgrace: disfigurement
12 region cloud: cloud of heaven
14 may stain: may be obscured
staineth: is obscured
4 bravery: splendor
rotten smoke: unwholesome mist
13, 14 Ah! but those tears . . . ill deeds; cf. n.
