1Have patience, my afflicted soul;
2Thou shalt not long in darkness rowl
. 3I will the Elements
implore. 4Then shall I need to beg no more
5to come unto my last, best feast
. Water
6The limpid
lady’s my first guest. 7Cool crystal Water, take thy part:
8First, that which circles my sad heart
. 9Or, if my tears will satisfy,
10To tears I’ll quickly rarefy
11Number them not. Count
sand or star—
12You’ll sooner number them by far
. 13Oh
that they had been shed for sin
, 14Then they in heaven had bottled been.
15Why were they shed? Oh ask not why
. 16If I repeat my woes, I die
17A double death. Oh ask no more,
18Let me alone my loss deplore
. 19Fair nymph, thou’st oft quenched thirst in me.
20Retaliate and drink up me.
21Seven lovely buds thou hast drawn dry.
22Oh spare the rest, or else I die
23A treble
death. Oh hear me speak! 24Let not my heart so often break
25But let death strike me once for all—
26A little blow will make me fall.
27Thou didst a whole world once involve
. 28Then let me into thee dissolve
. Air
29Sweet Air, refresher of mankind,
30Let me at last thy favor find.
31Do but exhaust
a little vapor
, 32Thou’lt quickly blow out my life’s taper
. 33’Twill be my last request to thee;
34Thou’rt free to all, be so to me.
35I oft have made thee such a feast
36That all the odors of the East
37Could not with their sweet breath compare,
38Blossoms so lovely, young, and rare:
39The woodbine
, ere Aurora doth arise, 40The July-flower
before the shadow flies, 41The dewy violet
, or the half-blown rose
— 42O say no more! My grief o’erflows.
43I into tears am rarified
, 44And thou thy part will be denied.
45Oh take this sigh
, then, for thy part, 46For such another breaks my heart
. Fire
47Most noble and illustrious fire,
48Whom (though I know not) I admire,
49If
such an Element there be, 50My strange petition is to thee.
51O hearken to my last desire
52And help my sad soul to expire.
53Contract
thy vigor, hold thy heat, 54Then will my heart forget to beat
55And trepidate
within my breast. 56O then how sweet will be my rest
; 57What a sweet slumber shall I take
58When my sad dreams do me forsake
59And cease my afflicted soul t’afright.
60Welcome, O welcome, that blessed night
. 61Then do but my short breath exhale,
62My structure straight to dust will fall.
63Welcome, O welcome, that blessed night,
64Which ushers in eternal light.
65For what is death but cold and night
, 66Life being only heat and light?
67Then all my heat to thee I’ll give,
68And though I die, in thee I live.
Dust, or Earth
69Dear Dust
, from thee I drew my birth. 70Then come, and ‘tis but Earth to Earth
. 71My lovely children thou hast taken.
72Shall their sad mother be forsaken?
73Aye me, thou took’st them young and fair
, 74And leav’st me here with hoary
hair. 75They, lovely fair with snowy skin
, 76Did too, too soon thy favor win.
77But I, involved with sin and sorrow,
78Sadly expect thee night and morrow.
79I ask no pyramid nor stately tomb;
80Do but involve me in thy spacious womb
. 81To beg this once, dear mother, give me leave:
82O let thy bowels yearn
and me receive.