Love , like Ulysses,
Is a wanderer,
For new fields always
And new faces yearning. . . .
Put by, O waiting ones,
Put by your weaving,
Unlike Ulysses,
Love is unreturning.

Love, like a mountain-wind upon an oak,
Falling upon me, shakes me leaf and bough.

Love is soft, love is swete, love is good sware;
Love is muche tene, love is muchel care.
Love is blissene mest, love is bot yare;
Love is wondred and wo with for to fare.

Love is hap, who it haveth; love is good hele.
Love is lecher and lees, and leef for to tele.
Love is doughty in the world with for to dele.
Love maketh in the land many unlele.

Love is stalwarde and strong to striden on stede.
Love is loveliche a thing to wommane nede.
Love is hardy and hot as glowinde glede.
Love maketh many may with teres to wede.

Love is a secret feeding fire that gives all creatures being,
Life to the dead, speech to the dumb, and to the blind man seeing.
And yet in me he contradicts all these his sacred graces:
Sears up my lips, my eyes, my life, and from me ever flying
Leads me in paths untracked, ungone, and many uncouth places,
Where in despair I beauty curse. Curse love and all fair faces!

Love, hide me in your breast.
No one is looking.
Don't even let the perfume of air
come between us,
one breath from the past
that could stir painful remembrance:
now that sky is ours,
I want to forget all earthly care.

Star of those who have lost the way,
rain down your light on me,
shine into the shy center
of my labyrinthine soul
the years have made dark
and be my sure-footed guide.

Dream, envelop my heart
in imaginary finery
while my rose of desire
pours forth her ardent perfume.
I am become passion.

Lovely Alpheus Joves crown-bearing tide,
Who muddy, through Pisaean fields, dost glide;
Gentle at first, till thou the sea attain,
Then swiftly fal'st into the boundlesse Main,
And like a Bridegroom, eager of the chace,
Break'st through to Arethusas cool imbrace:
Whom tir'd, and panting, kindly she receives,
Wipes off thy foam, and the seas briny leaves;
Applies her dewy lips to thine, and rocks thee
Asleep, whilst in her arms she sweetly locks thee.

Love, give me leave to serve thee, and be wise
To keepe thy torch in, but restore blind eyes.
I will a flame into my bosome take,
That Martyrs Court when they embrace the stake:
Not dull, and smoakie fires, but heat divine,
That burnes not to consume, but to refine.
I have a Mistresse for perfections rare
In every eye, but in my thoughts most faire.
Like Tapers on the Altar shine her eyes;
Her breath is the perfume of Sacrifice.
And wheresoe're my fancy would begin,
Still her perfection lets religion in.

Love divine, all love excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe thy loving spirit
Into every troubled breast;
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find the promised rest;
Take away the love of sinning,
Alpha and Omega be,
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,

Love came back at fall o' dew,
— Playing his old part;
But I had a word or two,
— That would break his heart.

" He who comes at candlelight,
— That should come before,
Must betake him to the night
— From a barred door. "

This the word that made us part
— In the fall o' dew;
This the word that brake his heart —
— Yet it brake mine, too!

Love , by that loosened hair
Well now I know
Where the lost Lilith went
So long ago.

Love, by those starry eyes
I understand
How the sea maidens lure
Mortals from land.

Love, by that welling laugh
Joy claims his own
Sea-born and wind-wayward
Child of the sun.