Collected poems of Sir Thomas Wyatt :: :: University of Virginia Library

Luckes, my faire falcon, and your fellowes all,
How well pleasaunt yt were your libertie!
Ye not forsake me that faire might ye befall.
But they that somtyme lykt my companye
Like lyse awaye from ded bodies thei crall:
Loe what a profe in light adversytie!
But ye my birdes, I swear by all your belles,
Ye be my fryndes, and so be but few elles.

CCXLII

[Playn ye, myn eyes, accompany my hart]

Playn ye, myn eyes, accompany my hart
For, by your fault, Loe! here is death at hand.
Ye brought him first into this bytter band,
And of his harme as yet ye felt no part;
But now ye shall: Loe! here begyns your smart,
Wet shall ye be—ye shall yt not withstand—
With weeping teares that shall make dymm your sight,
And mistie clowdes shall hang still in your light.
Blame but your selves that kyndyld have this brand,
Withe such desire to straine that past your might.
But synce by yow the hart hathe cawght his harme,
His flamed heate shall sometyme make ye warme.

242

CCXLIII

[I see my plaint with open eares]

I see my

plaint with open eares
Ys heard, alas, and lawghing eyes;
I see that scorne beholds my teares,
And all the harme hap can devyse;
I se my lyfe away so weares
That I my self my self dispyse;
And most of all wherewith I stryve
Ys that I see my self alyve.

CCXLIV

[Syghes ar my foode, drynke are my teares]

Syghes ar my foode, drynke are my teares;
Clynkinge of fetters suche musycke wolde crave;
Stynke and close ayer away my lyf wears;
Innocencie is all the hope I have.
Rayne, wynde, or wether I iudge by myne eares.
Mallice assaulteth that rightiousnes should have.
Sure I am, Brian, this wounde shall heale agayne,
But yet, alas, the scarre shall styll remayne.

CCXLV

[Lyke as the wynde with raginge blaste]

Lyke as the wynde with raginge blaste
Dothe cawse eche tree to bowe and bende,
Even so do I spende my tyme in wast,
My lyff consumynge vnto an ende.

Ffor as the flame by force dothe quenche the fier
And runnynge streames consume the rayne,
Even so do I my self desyer
To augment my greff and deadly payne.

Whear as I fynde that hot is hot,
And colde is colde by course of kynde,
So shall I knet an endeles knott;
Suche fructe in love, alas, I fynde.

243

When I forsaw those Christall streames
Whose bewtie dothe cawse my mortall wounde
I lyttyll thought within those beames
So swete a venim for to have founde.

I fele and se my owne decaye
As on that bearethe flame in his brest
Forgetfull thought to put away
The thynge that breadethe my vnrest.

Lyke as the flye dothe seke the flame
And afterwarde playethe in the fyer,
Who fyndethe her woe and sekethe her game
Whose greffe dothe growe of her owne desyer:

Lyke as the spider dothe drawe her lyne,
As labor lost so is my sute,
The gayne is hers, the lose is myne,
Of euell sowne seade suche is the frute.

CCXLVI

[Like as the byrde in the cage enclosed]

Like as the byrde in the cage enclosed,
The dore vnsparred and the hawke without,
Twixte deth and prison piteously oppressed
Whether for to chose standith in dowt.
Certes so do I, wyche do syeke to bring about
Wyche shuld be best by determination,
By losse off liefe libertye or liefe by preson.

Oh myscheffe by myschieffe to be redressed,
Wher payne is the best their lieth litell pleasure,
By schort deth out off daunger yet to be delyuered
Rather then with paynfull lieffe thraldome and doloure,
Ffor small plesure moche payne to suffer
Soner therfore to chuse me thincketh it wysdome
By losse off life lybertye then liefe by preson.

244

By leynght off liefe yet shulde I suffer,
Adwayting time and fortunes chaunce;
Manye thinges happen within an hower;
That wyche me oppressed may me avaunce;
In time is trust wyche by deathes greuaunce
Is vtterlye lost, then were it not reson
By deathe to chuse libertye, and not lieffe by preson.

But deathe were deliueraunce and liefe lengthe off payne:
Off two ylles, let see nowe chuse the lest:
This birde to deliuer youe that here her playne,
Your aduise, yowe louers, wyche shalbe best
In cage thraldome, or by the hauke to be opprest
And which for to chuse? Make playne conclusyon
By losse off liefe libertye or liefe by prison.