Page:Shakespeare's Sonnets (1923) Yale.djvu/55

Shakespeare's Sonnets 

Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault,

And I will comment upon that offence:

Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,

Against thy reasons making no defence.

Thou canst not, love, disgrace me half so ill,

To set a form upon desired change,

As I'll myself disgrace; knowing thy will,

I will acquaintance strangle, and look strange;

Be absent from thy walks; and in my tongue

Thy sweet beloved name no more shall dwell,

Lest I, too much profane, should do it wrong,

And haply of our old acquaintance tell.

For thee, against myself I'll vow debate,

For I must ne'er love him whom thou dost hate.

 

Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now;

Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,

Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,

And do not drop in for an after-loss:

Ah! do not, when my heart hath 'scap'd this sorrow,

Come in the rearward of a conquer'd woe;

Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,

To linger out a purpos'd overthrow.

If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,

When other petty griefs have done their spite,

But in the onset come: so shall I taste

At first the very worst of fortune's might;

And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,

Compar'd with loss of thee will not seem so.

 2 comment: discourse

6 set a form: put a good semblance

upon desired change: on the change you wish in our relations

8 acquaintance strangle: end our acquaintance

look strange: assume the air of a stranger

12 haply: perchance

13 debate: strife  2 cross: thwart

4 drop in: come in suddenly

6 Cf. n.

8 linger out: prolong

11 onset: first attack

13 strains: emotions 