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1
Have patience, my afflicted soul:
2
Thou shalt not long in darkness
roll2
.3
I will the elements implore;
4
Then shall I need to beg no more
5
To come unto my last, best feast:
Water
6
The
limpid3
lady’s my first guest;7
Cool crystal Water, take
thy part4
:8
First, that which circles my sad heart;
9
Or, if my tears will satisfy,
10
To tears I’ll quickly
rarefy5
.11
Number them not; count sand or star—
12
You’ll sooner number them by far.
13
O, that they had been shed for sin,
14
Then they in Heaven had bottled been!
15
Why were they shed? O, ask not why;
16
If I repeat my woes, I die
17
A double death;
O, ask no more6
;18
Let me alone my loss deplore.
19
Fair nymph,
thou’st7
oft quenched thirst in me: 20
Retaliate and drink up me!
21
Seven lovely buds thou hast drawn dry:8
22
O, spare the rest, or else I die
23
A treble death. O hear me speak!
24
Let not my heart so often break,
25
But let Death strike me once for all;
26
A little blow will make me fall.
27
Thou didst a whole world once involve;9
28
Then let me into thee dissolve!
Air
29
Sweet Air, refresher of mankind,
30
Let me at last thy
flavor10
find:31
Do but
exhaust11
a little vapor,32
Thou’lt12
quickly blow out my life’s taper13
.33
’Twill be my last request to thee;
34
Thou’rt free to all—be so to me!
35
I oft have made thee such a feast
36
That all the odors of the east
37
Could not with their sweet breath compare,
38
Blossoms so lovely, young, and rare:
39
The woodbine,
ere14
Aurora15
doth arise,40
The
gillyflower16
before the shadow flies,41
The dewy violet, or the
half-blown17
rose.42
O say no more!18
My grief o’erflows;43
I into tears am
rarefied19
,44
And thou thy part will be denied.20
45
O take this sigh, then, for thy part,
46
For such another breaks my heart.
Fire
47
Most noble and illustrious fire,
48
Whom (though I know not) I admire:
49
If such an element there be,
50
My strange petition is to thee.
51
O hearken to my last desire
52
And help my sad soul to expire!
53
Contract thy vigor, hold thy heat:
54
Then will my heart forget to beat
55
And
trepidate21
within my breast.56
O, then, how sweet will be my rest;
57
What a sweet slumber shall I take
58
When my sad dreams do me forsake
59
And cease my afflicted soul t’affright!
60
Welcome, O welcome, that blessed night.
61
Then do but my short breath
exhale22
,62
My structure straight to
dust23
will fall.63
Welcome, O welcome, that blessed night,
64
Which ushers in eternal light!
65
For what is death but cold and night,
66
Life being only heat and light?
67
Then all my heat to thee I’ll give,
68
And though I die, in thee I live.
Dust, or Earth
69
Dear Dust, from thee I drew my birth:
70
Then come, and ’tis but
earth to earth24
.71
My lovely children thou hast taken:
72
Shall their sad mother be forsaken?
73
Ay me, thou took’st them young and fair,
74
And leav’st me here with
hoary25
hair.75
They lovely fair, with snowy skin,
76
Did too, too soon thy favor win.
77
But I, involved with sin and sorrow,
78
Sadly expect thee night and morrow.
79
I ask no pyramid nor stately tomb:
80
Do but
involve26
me in thy spacious womb.81
To beg this once, dear mother, give me leave:
82
O let thy
bowels27
yearn, and me receive.