Classic Poem

OF WHICH ALL THE STAVES END WITH THE WORDS OF THE FIRST, LIKE A SESTINE .

I.

Ye ghastly groves, that hear my woeful cries,
Whose shady leaves do shake to hear my pain;
Thou silver stream, that dost with tears lament
The cruel chance that doth my grief increase;
Ye chirping birds, whose cheerless notes declare
That ye bewail the woes I feel in mind!
Bear witness how with care I do consume,
And hear the cause why thus I pine away!

II.

Love is the cause that makes me pine away,
And makes you hear the echo of my cries,
Through grief's increase: and though the cause of pain
Which doth enforce me still thus to lament,
Proceed from love, and though my pain increase
By daily cries which do that pain declare,
And witness are of my afflicted mind,
Yet cry I will, till crying me consume.

III.

For as the fire the stubble doth consume,
And as the wind doth drive the dust away,
So pensive hearts are spent with doleful cries,
And cares distract the mind with pinching pain.
But all in vain I do my cares lament;
My sorrow doth my sobs, sighs, tears increase:
Though sobs, sighs, tears, my torments do declare,
Sobs, sighs, nor tears, move not her flinty mind.

IV.

I am cast out of her ungrateful mind;
And she hath sworn I shall in vain consume
My weary days — my life must waste away,
Consumed with pain, and worn with restless cries.
So Philomel, too much oppressed with pain,
By his misdeed that causeth her lament,
Doth day and night her mournful lays increase,
And to the woods her sorrows doth declare.

V.

Some ease it is hid sorrows to declare;
But too small ease to such a grieved mind,
Which by repeating woes doth more consume
To end which woes I find at all no way;
A simple salve to cure so great a pain;
But to death's deafened ears to bend my cries.
Come, then, ye ghastly owls, help me lament!
And as my cries, so let your shrieks increase.

VI.

For as your shrieks (the tunes of death) increase,
When sun is set and shadows do declare
The night's approach; so I from my dark mind,
Since my bright sun is fled, in cries consume
My night of woes; and though you fly away
Soon as the day returns and cease your cries,
Yet I by day find no release of pain,
But day and night so foul a change lament.

VII.

But while I thus to senseless things lament,
Ruth of my case in them thereby d'increase,
Which she feels not, with scoffs she doth declare
My pangs to him, who first her wanton mind
From me did win: since when I still consume
Like wax 'gainst fire, like snow that melts away
Before the sun: thus, thus, with mournful cries
I living die, and dying live in pain.

VIII.

And now adieu delight, and farewell pain;
Adieu vain hope; I shall no more lament
Her feigned faith which did my woes increase!
And ye to whom my griefs I thus declare,
Ye which have heard the secrets of my mind;
And seeing then my ling'ring life in pain consume,
Grove, brook, and birds adieu! now hence away
By death I will, and cease my deadly cries.