Classic Poem

Wilt thou, remorseless fair,
Still laugh while I lament,
Or shall thy chief contentment be,
To see me malcontent?

Shall I, Narcissus-like,
A flying shadow chase,
Or like Pygmalion hug a stone,
That hath no sense of grace?

No, no, my blind love now
Must borrow Reason's eyes,
And as thy fairness made me fond,
My wrongs must make me wise.

My loyalty disdains
To love a loveless dame:
The life of Cupid's fire consists
Into a mutual flame.

Had'st thou but given one look,
Had'st thou but gi'en one smile,
Or had'st thou sent but one sweet sigh
My sorrows to beguile, —

My captive thoughts perchance
Had been redeem'd from pain,
And these my mutinous discontents
Made friends with hope again.

But thou, I know not how,
Art careless of my good,
And would ambitiously imbrue
Thy beauty in my blood.

A great disgrace to thee,
To me a monstrous wrong,
Which time would teach thee to repent
Before that it were long.

Then to prevent thy shame,
And to abridge my woe —
Because thou can'st not love thy friend,
I'll cease to love my foe.