A Lover’s Complaint
A poem in modern spelling. Stanzas follow the public-domain text.
Stanza 1
From off a hill whose concave womb reworded
A plaintful story from a sist’ring vale,
My spirits t’attend this double voice accorded,
And down I laid to list the sad-tun’d tale;
long espied a fickle maid full pale,
Tearing of papers, breaking rings a-twain,
Storming her world with sorrow’s wind and rain.
Stanza 2
Upon her head a platted hive of straw,
Which fortified her visage from the sun,
Whereon the thought might think sometime it saw
The carcass of a beauty spent and done;
Time had not scythed all that youth begun,
Nor youth all quit, but spite of heaven’s fell rage
Some beauty peeped through lattice of sear’d age.
Stanza 3
did she heave her napkin to her eyne,
Which on it had conceited characters,
Laund’ring the silken figures in the brine
That seasoned woe had pelleted in tears,
And often reading what contents it bears;
As often shrieking undistinguish’d woe,
In clamours of all size, both high and low.
Stanza 4
Sometimes her levell’d eyes their carriage ride,
As they did batt’ry to the spheres intend;
Sometime diverted their poor balls are tied
To th’orbed earth; sometimes they do extend
Their view right on; their gazes lend
To every place at once, and nowhere fix’d,
The mind and sight distractedly commix’d.
Stanza 5
Her hair, nor loose nor tied in formal plat,
Proclaim’d in her a careless hand of pride;
For some untuck’d descended her sheav’d hat,
Hanging her pale and pined cheek beside;
Some in her threaden fillet still did bide,
And, true to bondage, would not break from ,
Though slackly braided in loose negligence.
Stanza 6
A thousand favours from a maund she drew,
Of amber, crystal, and of beaded jet,
Which one by one she in a river threw,
Upon whose weeping margent she was set,
Like usury applying wet to wet,
Or monarchs’ hands, that lets not bounty fall
Where want cries ‘some,’ but where excess begs ‘all’.
Stanza 7
Of folded schedules had she many a one,
Which she perus’d, sigh’d, tore and gave the flood;
Crack’d many a ring of posied gold and bone,
Bidding them find their sepulchres in mud;
Found yet mo letters sadly penn’d in blood,
With sleided silk, feat and affectedly
Enswath’d, and seal’d to curious secrecy.
Stanza 8
These often bath’d she in her fluxive eyes,
And often kiss’d, and often gave to tear;
Cried, ‘O false blood, register of lies,
What unapproved witness bear!
Ink would have seem’d more black and damned here!’
This said, in top of rage the lines she rents,
Big discontent so breaking their contents.
Stanza 9
A reverend man that grazed his cattle nigh,
Sometime a blusterer, that the ruffle knew
Of court, of city, and had let go by
The swiftest hours observed as they flew,
Towards this afflicted fancy fastly drew;
And, privileg’d by age, desires to know
In brief the grounds and motives of her woe.
Stanza 10
So slides he down upon his grained bat,
And comely distant sits he by her side,
When he again desires her, being sat,
Her grievance with his hearing to divide:
If that from him there may be applied
Which may her suffering ecstasy assuage,
promised in the charity of age.
Stanza 11
‘Father,’ she says, ‘though in me you behold
The injury of many a blasting hour,
Let it not tell your judgement I am old,
Not age, but sorrow, over me power.
I might as yet have been a spreading flower,
Fresh to myself, if I had self-applied
Love to myself, and to no love beside.
Stanza 12
‘But woe is me! Too early I attended
A youthful suit; it was to gain my grace;
O one by nature’s outwards so commended,
That maiden’s eyes stuck over all his face,
Love lack’d a dwelling and made him her place;
And when in his fair parts she did abide,
She was new lodg’d and newly deified.
Stanza 13
‘His browny locks did hang in crooked curls,
And every light occasion of the wind
Upon his lips their silken parcels hurls,
What’s sweet to do, to do will aptly find,
Each eye that saw him did enchant the mind:
For on his visage was in little drawn,
What largeness thinks in paradise was sawn.
Stanza 14
‘Small show of man was yet upon his chin;
His phoenix down began but to appear,
Like unshorn velvet, on that termless skin,
Whose bare out-bragg’d the web it seemed to wear.
Yet show’d his visage by that cost more dear,
And nice affections wavering stood in doubt
If best were as it was, or best without.
Stanza 15
‘His qualities were beauteous as his form,
For maiden-tongued he was, and thereof free;
Yet if men mov’d him, was he such a storm
As ’twixt May and April is to see,
When winds breathe sweet, unruly though they be.
His rudeness so with his authoriz’d youth
Did livery falseness in a pride of truth.
Stanza 16
‘Well could he ride, and often men would say
That horse his mettle from his rider takes,
Proud of subjection, noble by the sway,
What rounds, what bounds, what course, what stop he makes!
And controversy a question takes,
Whether the horse by him became his deed,
Or he his manage by th’ well-doing steed.
Stanza 17
‘But quickly on this side the verdict went,
His real habitude gave life and grace
To appertainings and to ornament,
Accomplish’d in himself, not in his case;
All aids, themselves made fairer by their place,
Came for additions; yet their purpos’d trim
Piec’d not his grace, but were all grac’d by him.
Stanza 18
‘So on the tip of his subduing tongue
All kind of arguments and question deep,
All replication prompt, and reason strong,
For his advantage still did wake and sleep,
To make the weeper laugh, the laugher weep:
He had the dialect and different skill,
Catching all passions in his craft of will.
Stanza 19
‘That he did in the general bosom reign
Of young, of old, and sexes both enchanted,
To dwell with him in thoughts, or to remain
In personal duty, following where he haunted,
Consent’s bewitch’d, he desire, have granted,
And dialogued for him what he would say,
Ask’d their own wills, and made their wills obey.
Stanza 20
‘Many there were that did his picture get
To serve their eyes, and in it put their mind,
Like fools that in th’ imagination set
The goodly objects which abroad they find
Of lands and mansions, theirs in thought assign’d,
And labouring in moe pleasures to bestow them,
Than the true gouty landlord which owe them.
Stanza 21
‘So many have, that never touch’d his hand,
Sweetly suppos’d them mistress of his heart.
My woeful self that did in freedom stand,
And was my own fee-simple (not in part)
What with his art in youth, and youth in art,
Threw my affections in his charmed power,
Reserv’d the stalk and gave him all my flower.
Stanza 22
‘Yet did I not, as some my equals did,
Demand of him, nor being desired yielded,
Finding myself in honour so forbid,
With safest distance I mine honour shielded.
Experience for me many bulwarks builded
Of proofs new-bleeding, which remain’d the foil
Of this false jewel, and his amorous spoil.
Stanza 23
‘But ah! Who ever shunn’d by precedent
The destin’d ill she must herself assay,
Or force’d examples ’gainst her own content,
To put the by-pass’d perils in her way?
Counsel may stop a while what will not stay:
For when we rage, advice is often seen
By blunting us to make our wills more keen.
Stanza 24
‘Nor gives it satisfaction to our blood,
That we must curb it upon others’ proof,
To be forbode the sweets that seems so good,
For fear of harms that preach in our behoof.
O appetite, from judgement stand aloof!
The one a palate that needs will taste,
Though reason weep and cry, “It is last.”
Stanza 25
‘For further I could say, “This man’s untrue”,
And knew the patterns of his foul beguiling;
Heard where his plants in others’ orchards grew,
Saw how deceits were gilded in his smiling;
Knew vows were ever brokers to defiling;
Thought characters and words merely but art,
And bastards of his foul adulterate heart.
Stanza 26
‘And long upon these terms I held my city,
Till thus he ’gan besiege me: “Gentle maid,
Have of my suffering youth some feeling pity,
And be not of my holy vows afraid:
That’s to sworn, to none was ever said,
For feasts of love I have been call’d unto,
Till now did invite, nor never woo.
Stanza 27
‘“All my offences that abroad you see
Are errors of the blood, none of the mind:
Love made them not; with acture they may be,
Where neither party is nor true nor kind,
They sought their shame that so their shame did find,
And so much less of shame in me remains,
By how much of me their reproach contains.
Stanza 28
‘“Among the many that mine eyes have seen,
Not one whose flame my heart so much as warmed,
Or my affection put to th’ smallest teen,
Or any of my leisures ever charmed:
Harm have I done to them, but was harmed;
Kept hearts in liveries, but mine own was free,
And reign’d commanding in his monarchy.
Stanza 29
‘“Look here what tributes wounded fancies sent me,
Of pallid pearls and rubies red as blood,
Figuring that they their passions likewise lent me
Of grief and blushes, aptly understood
In bloodless white and the encrimson’d mood;
Effects of terror and dear modesty,
Encamp’d in hearts, but fighting outwardly.
Stanza 30
‘“And, lo! behold these talents of their hair,
With twisted metal amorously empleach’d,
I have receiv’d from many a several fair,
Their kind acceptance weepingly beseech’d,
With th’ annexions of fair gems enrich’d,
And deep-brain’d sonnets that did amplify
Each stone’s dear nature, worth and quality.
Stanza 31
‘“The diamond, why beautiful and hard,
Whereto his invis’d properties did tend,
The deep green emerald, in whose fresh regard
Weak sights their sickly radiance do amend;
The heaven-hued sapphire and the opal blend
With objects manifold; each several stone,
With wit well blazon’d smil’d, or made some moan.
Stanza 32
‘“Lo, all these trophies of affections hot,
Of pensiv’d and subdued desires the tender,
Nature charg’d me that I hoard them not,
But yield them up where I myself must render,
That is, to you, my origin and ender:
For these of force must your oblations be,
Since I their altar, you empatron me.
Stanza 33
‘“O then advance of yours that phraseless hand,
Whose white weighs down the airy scale of praise;
Take all these similes to your own command,
Hallowed with sighs that burning lungs did raise:
What me, your minister for you, obeys,
Works under you; and to your audit comes
Their distract parcels in combined sums.
Stanza 34
‘“Lo, this device was sent me from a nun,
Or sister sanctified of holiest note,
Which late her noble suit in court did shun,
Whose rarest havings made the blossoms dote;
For she was sought by spirits of richest coat,
But kept cold distance, and did remove
To spend her living in eternal love.
Stanza 35
‘“But O, my sweet, what labour is’t to leave
The thing we have not, mast’ring what not strives,
Planing the place which did no form receive,
Playing patient sports in unconstrained gyves,
She that her fame so to herself contrives,
The scars of battle ’scapeth by the flight,
And makes her absence valiant, not her might.
Stanza 36
‘“O pardon me, in that my boast is true,
The accident which brought me to her eye,
Upon the moment did her force subdue,
And now she would the caged cloister fly:
Religious love put out religion’s eye:
Not to be tempted would she be immur’d,
And now to tempt all, liberty procur’d.
Stanza 37
‘“How mighty then you are, O hear me tell!
The broken bosoms that to me belong
Have emptied all their fountains in my well,
And mine I pour your ocean all among:
I strong them, and you me being strong,
Must for your victory us all congest,
As compound love to physic your cold breast.
Stanza 38
‘“My parts had pow’r to charm a sacred nun,
Who, disciplin’d and dieted in grace,
Believ’d her eyes when they t’assail begun,
All vows and consecrations giving place.
O most potential love! Vow, bond, nor space,
In neither sting, knot, nor confine,
For art all and all things else are .
Stanza 39
‘“When impressest, what are precepts worth
Of stale example? When wilt inflame,
How coldly those impediments stand forth,
Of wealth, of filial fear, law, kindred, fame!
Love’s arms are peace, ’gainst rule, ’gainst sense, ’gainst shame,
And sweetens, in the suff’ring pangs it bears,
The aloes of all forces, shocks and fears.
Stanza 40
‘“Now all these hearts that do on mine depend,
Feeling it break, with bleeding groans they pine,
And supplicant their sighs to your extend,
To leave the batt’ry that you make ’gainst mine,
Lending soft audience to my sweet design,
And credent soul to that strong-bonded oath,
That shall prefer and undertake my troth.”
Stanza 41
‘This said, his wat’ry eyes he did dismount,
Whose sights till then were levell’d on my face;
Each cheek a river running from a fount
With brinish current downward flowed apace.
O how the channel to the stream gave grace!
Who, glaz’d with crystal gate the glowing roses
That flame through water which their hue encloses.
Stanza 42
‘O father, what a hell of witchcraft lies
In the small orb of one particular tear!
But with the inundation of the eyes
What rocky heart to water will not wear?
What breast so cold that is not warmed here?
O cleft effect! Cold modesty, hot wrath,
Both fire from and chill extincture .
Stanza 43
‘For lo, his passion, but an art of craft,
Even there resolv’d my reason into tears;
There my white stole of chastity I daff’d,
Shook off my sober guards, and civil fears,
Appear to him as he to me appears,
All melting, though our drops this diff’rence bore:
His poison’d me, and mine did him restore.
Stanza 44
‘In him a plenitude of subtle matter,
Applied to cautels, all strange forms receives,
Of burning blushes, or of weeping water,
Or swooning paleness; and he takes and leaves,
In either’s aptness, as it best deceives,
To blush at speeches rank, to weep at woes,
Or to turn white and swoon at tragic shows.
Stanza 45
‘That not a heart which in his level came
Could ’scape the hail of his all-hurting aim,
Showing fair nature is both kind and tame;
And veil’d in them, did win whom he would maim.
Against the thing he sought he would exclaim;
When he most burned in heart-wish’d luxury,
He preach’d pure maid, and prais’d cold chastity.
Stanza 46
‘Thus merely with the garment of a grace,
The naked and concealed fiend he cover’d,
That th’unexperient gave the tempter place,
Which, like a cherubin, above them hover’d.
Who, young and simple, would not be so lover’d?
Ay me! I fell, and yet do question make
What I should do again for such a sake.
Stanza 47
‘O, that infected moisture of his eye,
O, that false fire which in his cheek so glow’d!
O, that forc’d thunder from his heart did fly,
O, that sad breath his spongy lungs bestow’d,
O, all that borrowed motion, seeming owed,
Would yet again betray the fore-betrayed,
And new pervert a reconciled maid.’
Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.