| |
| MOST wretched heart! most miserable, | |
| Since thy comfort is from thee fled; | |
| Since all thy truth is turned to fable | |
| Most wretched heart! why art thou not dead? | |
| ‘No! no! I live, and must do still; | 5 |
| Whereof I thank God, and no mo; | |
| For I myself have at my will, | |
| And he is wretched that weens him so.’ | |
| But yet thou hast both had and lost | |
| The hope, so long that hath thee fed, | 10 |
| And all thy travail, and thy cost; | |
| Most wretched heart! why art thou not dead? | |
| ‘Some other hope must feed me new: | |
| If I have lost, I say what tho! | |
| Despair shall not therewith ensue; | 15 |
| For he is wretched, that weens him so.’ | |
| The sun, the moon doth frown on thee | |
| Thou hast darkness in daylight stead: | |
| As good in grave, as so to be; | |
| Most wretched heart! why art thou not dead? | 20 |
| ‘Some pleasant star may shew me light; | |
| But though the heaven would work me woe, | |
| Who hath himself shall stand upright; | |
| And he is wretched that weens him so.’ | |
| Hath he himself that is not sure? | 25 |
| His trust is like as he hath sped. | |
| Against the stream thou mayst not dure; | |
| Most wretched heart! why art thou not dead? | |
| ‘The last is worst: who fears not that | |
| He hath himself whereso he go: | 30 |
| And he that knoweth what is what, | |
| Saith he is wretched that weens him so.’ | |
| Seest thou not how they whet their teeth, | |
| Which to touch thee sometime did dread? | |
| They find comfort, for thy mischief, | 35 |
| Most wretched heart! why art thou not dead? | |
| ‘What though that curs do fall by kind | |
| On him that hath the overthrow; | |
| All that cannot oppress my mind; | |
| For he is wretched that weens him so.’ | 40 |
| Yet can it not be then denied, | |
| It is as certain as thy creed, | |
| Thy great unhap thou canst not hide; | |
| Unhappy then! why art thou not dead? | |
| ‘Unhappy; but no wretch therefore! | 45 |
| For hap doth come again, and go, | |
| For which I keep myself in store; | |
| Since unhap cannot kill me so.’ | |
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