65
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
But sad mortality o'ersways their power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower? 4
O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out
Against the wrackful siege of battering days,
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays? 8
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid? 12
O, none, unless this miracle have might,
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.
66
Tir'd with all these, for restful death I cry
As to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn, 4
And gilded honour shamefully misplac'd,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgrac'd,
And strength by limping sway disabled, 8
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly—doctor-like—controlling skill,
And simple truth miscall'd simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill: 12
Tir'd with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that to die, I leave my love alone.
1 Since: since there is not
4 action: vigor
6 wrackful: destructive
12 spoil: plundering
3 needy nothing: empty vanity
trimm'd in jollity: decked in finery
4 unhappily forsworn: unluckily frustrated
5 misplac'd: bestowed amiss
8 disabled: rendered helpless
11 simplicity: folly
14 to die: by dying
