Sonnets

Sonnet 34

Why promise such a beauteous day,
And make me travel forth without my cloak,
To let base clouds o’ertake me in my way,
Hiding brav’ry in their rotten smoke?
not enough that through the cloud 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:
Nor can shame give physic to my grief,
Though repent, yet I have still the loss,
Th’ offender’s sorrow lends but weak relief
To him that bears the strong offence’s cross.
Ah but those tears are pearl which love sheds,
And they are rich, and ransom all ill deeds.

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See its words in the cloud.

Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.