Collected poems of Sir Thomas Wyatt Edited by Kenneth Muir and Patricia Thomson |
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 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. | IX Poems from The Court of Venus and A Boke of Balettes
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| CCLXII. |
| CCLXIII. |
| CCLXIV. |
| CCLXV. |
| CCLXVI. |
| CCLXVII. |
| CCLXVIII. |
 | Collected poems of Sir Thomas Wyatt |  |
254
IX
Poems from The Court of Venus and A Boke of Balettes
CCLXII
[Dryuen by dissyr to set affection]
Dryuen by dissyr to set affection
A great way, alas, above my degre,
Chosen I am, I thinke by election
To couet that thing that will not be.
A great way, alas, above my degre,
Chosen I am, I thinke by election
To couet that thing that will not be.
I serue in loue, not lyke to sped;
I loke, alas, a lytell to hye;
Agaynst my will I do in ded
Couet that thing that will not be.
I loke, alas, a lytell to hye;
Agaynst my will I do in ded
Couet that thing that will not be.
My fanzy, alas, doth me so bynd
That I can se no remedy,
But styll to folow my folych mind,
And couet that thing that wyll not be.
That I can se no remedy,
But styll to folow my folych mind,
And couet that thing that wyll not be.
I hopyd well whan I began;
And, sens the proue is contrary,
Why shold I any longer than
Couet that thing that wyll not be?
And, sens the proue is contrary,
Why shold I any longer than
Couet that thing that wyll not be?
But rather to leaue now at the last
Then styll to folowe fantasy,
Content with the payn that is past
And not couet that thing that will not be.
Then styll to folowe fantasy,
Content with the payn that is past
And not couet that thing that will not be.
255
CCLXIII
[Loue whom you lyst and spare not]
Loue whom you lyst and spare not
Therwyth I am content;
Hate whom you lyst and spare not,
For I am indifferent.
Therwyth I am content;
Hate whom you lyst and spare not,
For I am indifferent.
Do what you lyst and dread not
After your owne fantasye,
Thynke what you lyst and feare not
For al is one to me.
After your owne fantasye,
Thynke what you lyst and feare not
For al is one to me.
But as for me I am not
Wauering as the wind,
But euen as one that reketh not
Whych way you turne your mind.
Wauering as the wind,
But euen as one that reketh not
Whych way you turne your mind.
For in your loue I doubt not,
But as one that reketh not,
Whether you hate or hate not
Is least charge of my thought.
But as one that reketh not,
Whether you hate or hate not
Is least charge of my thought.
Wherfore I pray you forget not
But that I am wel content
To loue whom you list and spare not,
For I am indyfferent.
But that I am wel content
To loue whom you list and spare not,
For I am indyfferent.
CCLXIV
[Shall she neuer out of my mynde]
Shall she neuer out of my mynde,
Nor shall I neuer out of this payn,
Alas her loue doth me so blinde,
Except her helpe I am now slayne.
Nor shall I neuer out of this payn,
Alas her loue doth me so blinde,
Except her helpe I am now slayne.
I neuer told her of my mynde
What payne I suffer for her sake:
Alas! what meanes might I now find
That no displeasure with me she take.
What payne I suffer for her sake:
256
That no displeasure with me she take.
Yf I speake fayre, she sayth I flatter,
And if I dare not I shall not spede,
Yf I to her do wryte a letter,
Then wyll she say she can not rede.
And if I dare not I shall not spede,
Yf I to her do wryte a letter,
Then wyll she say she can not rede.
Shall I despayre yet for all this?
Nay, nay, my hart wyll not do so.
I wold ones my swete hart kys,
A thousand times to bynd more wo.
Nay, nay, my hart wyll not do so.
I wold ones my swete hart kys,
A thousand times to bynd more wo.
I am abashed when I shuld speake
Alas! I can not my mind expresse.
Yt maketh my hart in peces breake
To se her louing gentelnes.
Alas! I can not my mind expresse.
Yt maketh my hart in peces breake
To se her louing gentelnes.
CCLXV
[To whom should I sue to ease my payne?]
To whom should I sue to ease my payne?
To my mystres? Nay, nay, certayne!
For feare she should me then disdayne
I dare not sue, I dare not sue.
To my mystres? Nay, nay, certayne!
For feare she should me then disdayne
I dare not sue, I dare not sue.
When I should speake to my mystres
In hope for to get redres
[OMITTED]
When I should speake, when I shold speake.
In hope for to get redres
[OMITTED]
When I should speake, when I shold speake.
What hap had I that suffereth payne
And if I myght her grace attayne?
Or els she would here me complayne:
What hap had I, what hap had I?
And if I myght her grace attayne?
Or els she would here me complayne:
What hap had I, what hap had I?
I fly for feare to be espyed
Or of euil wil to be destroyed
The place wher I would faynest abyde
I fly for feare, I fly for feare.
Or of euil wil to be destroyed
257
I fly for feare, I fly for feare.
Though I wer bold who should me blame?
Loue caused me to do the same;
Wyth honesty it were no shame,
Though I were bold, though I were bold.
Loue caused me to do the same;
Wyth honesty it were no shame,
Though I were bold, though I were bold.
And here an end, wyth ful glad wyl,
In purpose for to serue her styl,
And for to part I thinke none yl
And here an end, and here an end.
In purpose for to serue her styl,
And for to part I thinke none yl
And here an end, and here an end.
CCLXVI
[Dysdaine me not without desert]
Dysdaine me not without desert
Nor leaue me not so sodeynly
Sence wel ye wot that in my hart
I meane nothing but honestly.
Dysdayne me not.
Nor leaue me not so sodeynly
Sence wel ye wot that in my hart
I meane nothing but honestly.
Dysdayne me not.
Refuse me not without cause why,
Nor thynke me not to be vniust;
Synce that by lot of fantasye
The carefull knot nedes knyt I must,
Refuse me not.
Nor thynke me not to be vniust;
Synce that by lot of fantasye
The carefull knot nedes knyt I must,
Refuse me not.
Mystrust me not though some there be
That fayne would spot my stedfastnes;
Beleue them not, sins that ye se
The profe is not as they expresse.
Mystrust me not.
That fayne would spot my stedfastnes;
Beleue them not, sins that ye se
The profe is not as they expresse.
Mystrust me not.
Forsake me not til I deserue,
Nor hate me not, tyll I offend,
Destroy me not, tyll that I swerue;
But sins ye know what I intend,
Forsake me not.
Nor hate me not, tyll I offend,
258
But sins ye know what I intend,
Forsake me not.
Dysdayne me not that am your owne;
Refuse me not that am so true;
Mystrust me not til al be knowen;
Forsake me neuer for no new:
Disdayne me not.
Refuse me not that am so true;
Mystrust me not til al be knowen;
Forsake me neuer for no new:
Disdayne me not.
CCLXVII
[I may by no meanes surmyse]
I may by no meanes surmyse
My fantasy to resyst,
But after the old gyse
To call on had I wyst
And thought it to suffyce
That agayne I shall haue none.
Yet can I not deuyse
To get agayne myne owne.
My fantasy to resyst,
But after the old gyse
To call on had I wyst
And thought it to suffyce
That agayne I shall haue none.
Yet can I not deuyse
To get agayne myne owne.
It is my hart that I haue lost:
God send it me againe.
I should it haue what euer it cost,
Or else I am but slaine. [OMITTED]
God send it me againe.
I should it haue what euer it cost,
Or else I am but slaine. [OMITTED]
I study day and night
And loud I cry and cal
To be deliuered quyte
From her that I am thral.
And yet agaynst al right
Of force I must stil mone,
For it doth passe my might
To get agayne myne owne.
And loud I cry and cal
To be deliuered quyte
From her that I am thral.
And yet agaynst al right
Of force I must stil mone,
For it doth passe my might
To get agayne myne owne.
259
In tormentes I am torne
That no rest find I can,
None so vnhappye borne
Sence that the world began;
I aske but such corne
And suche sede that was sowne;
And yet though I had sworne,
I cannot get my owne.
That no rest find I can,
None so vnhappye borne
Sence that the world began;
I aske but such corne
And suche sede that was sowne;
And yet though I had sworne,
I cannot get my owne.
But seyng that I cannot
Attayne my true desyre
Nor by no meanes may not
Crepe out of the fyre, [OMITTED]
Geue ought of your owne
By reason that you should not
Let me to haue myne owne.
Attayne my true desyre
Nor by no meanes may not
Crepe out of the fyre, [OMITTED]
Geue ought of your owne
By reason that you should not
Let me to haue myne owne.
CCLXVIII
[Now must I lern to faine]
Now must I lern to faine
And do as other do,
Seing no truth doth raine
That I may trust vnto;
I was both true and playne
To one and to no mo,
And vnto me againe
Alas! she was not so.
And do as other do,
Seing no truth doth raine
That I may trust vnto;
I was both true and playne
To one and to no mo,
And vnto me againe
Alas! she was not so.
Vnknowen againe my hart
Into my foes hand,
And euer I could astart
Out of that careful band.
All the wyt I had
Could scace the knot vndo,
This careful lyfe I had
For one that was not so.
Into my foes hand,
And euer I could astart
Out of that careful band.
All the wyt I had
Could scace the knot vndo,
This careful lyfe I had
For one that was not so.
260
The nights right long and heuy,
The dayes of my torment,
The sighes continually
That thorow my hart went,
My colour pale and wan
To her dyd playnly shewe
That I was her true man,
And yet she thought not so.
The dayes of my torment,
The sighes continually
That thorow my hart went,
My colour pale and wan
To her dyd playnly shewe
That I was her true man,
And yet she thought not so.
Out of her sight no pleasure
But to my hart gret paine,
And teares out of measure
That out of mine eies did raine;
Her absence was my death,
For to depart her fro,
And yet alas her fayth
Was fayned and not so.
But to my hart gret paine,
And teares out of measure
That out of mine eies did raine;
Her absence was my death,
For to depart her fro,
And yet alas her fayth
Was fayned and not so.
Not the feuer quartayne
Dothe halfe a man so shake
As dyd the wo and payne
That dayly dyd me take.
No slepe could I nor rest,
But tossyng to and fro,
And wheras I loued best,
Alas! she did not so.
Dothe halfe a man so shake
As dyd the wo and payne
That dayly dyd me take.
No slepe could I nor rest,
But tossyng to and fro,
And wheras I loued best,
Alas! she did not so.
And seing it is my chaunce
My loue in vaine to wast,
I am not in that daunce
The first nor yet the last;
But wise he is by once
That can his foly know,
To reuoke at once
Seyng she wyl not so.
My loue in vaine to wast,
I am not in that daunce
The first nor yet the last;
But wise he is by once
That can his foly know,
To reuoke at once
Seyng she wyl not so.
| Collected poems of Sir Thomas Wyatt | |