A Lover's Complaint

The full text side-by-side with a translation into modern English.

Elizabethan English			Modern English
From off a hill whose concave womb reworded			From a hill whose concave womb has been reformulated
A plaintful story from a sist'ring vale,			A plaintive tale from a sister valley,
My spirits t'attend this double voice accorded,			My spirits, to witness this double voice,
And down I laid to list the sad-tuned tale,			And I lay down to list the sad tale
Ere long espied a fickle maid full pale,			Before I saw a fickle maid all pale,
Tearing of papers, breaking rings atwain,			tearing papers, breaking rings,
Storming her world with sorrow's wind and rain.			Storms her world with wind and rain of sorrow.
Upon her head a platted hive of straw,			On her head a plated straw basket,
Which fortified her visage from the sun,			Who strengthened her face against the sun,
Whereon the thought might think sometime it saw			What thought might think of when it saw it
The carcase of a beauty spent and done.			A beauty's corpse, used up and done.
Time had not scythed all that youth begun,			Time had not mowed all youth,
Nor youth all quit, but spite of heaven's fell rage			The youth did not give up either, but despite the anger of heaven
Some beauty peeped through lattice of seared age.			Some beauty peered through the grid of scorched age.
Oft did she heave her napkin to her eyne,			Often she lifted her napkin to her eyes,
Which on it had conceited characters,			What on it had conceited characters,
Laund'ring the silken figures in the brine			Wash the silk figures in the brine
That seasoned woe had pelleted in tears,			This experienced woe was crushed in tears,
And often reading what contents it bears;			And often read what it contains;
As often shrieking undistinguished woe,			How often screaming indistinguishable woe,
In clamours of all size, both high and low.			In screams of all magnitudes, both high and low.
Sometimes her levelled eyes their carriage ride,			Sometimes her leveled eyes her carriage ride,
As they did batt'ry to the spheres intend;			As they intended the spheres;
Sometime diverted their poor balls are tied			Eventually her poor balls get distracted
To th' orbed earth; sometimes they do extend			To th' orbed earth; sometimes they lengthen
Their view right on; anon their gazes lend			Your gaze straight on; soon borrow their looks
To every place at once, and nowhere fixed,			In every place at the same time and nowhere fixed,
The mind and sight distractedly commixed.			Mind and sight were distractedly mixed.
Her hair, nor loose nor tied in formal plat,			Her hair, neither loose nor tied in formal plat,
Proclaimed in her a careless hand of pride;			Proclaimed in her a careless hand of pride;
For some, untucked, descended her sheaved hat,			For some their shattered hat lowered,
Hanging her pale and pined cheek beside;			Hangs her pale and longing cheek by;
Some in her threaden fillet still did bide,			Some in their threadlike fillet still held,
And, true to bondage, would not break from thence,			And, true to bondage, would not break from there,
Though slackly braided in loose negligence.			Although loosely braided in loose carelessness.
A thousand favours from a maund she drew			A thousand favors from a bunch she pulled
Of amber, crystal, and of beaded jet,			Of amber, crystal and beaded jet,
Which one by one she in a river threw,			Which they threw one by one into a river,
Upon whose weeping margent she was set;			On whose weeping Margent she was seated;
Like usury applying wet to wet,			Like usury laying wet on wet,
Or monarchs' hands that lets not bounty fall			Or monarch hands that don't drop bounty
Where want cries some, but where excess begs all.			Where lack cries for some, but surplus begs for all.
Of folded schedules had she many a one,			She had many a folded schedule,
Which she perused, sighed, tore, and gave the flood;			Which she read through, sighed, tore up, and gave the flood;
Cracked many a ring of posied gold and bone,			Cracked many a ring of set gold and bone,
Bidding them find their sepulchres in mud;			They ask to find their graves in the mud;
Found yet moe letters sadly penned in blood,			Found more letters sadly written in blood,
With sleided silk feat and affectedly			Dressed in silk feat and affected
Enswathed and sealed to curious secrecy.			Shrouded and sealed with strange secrecy.
These often bathed she in her fluxive eyes,			These they often bathed in their fleeting eyes,
And often kissed, and often 'gan to tear;			And often kissed and often torn;
Cried, 'O false blood, thou register of lies,			Cried: 'O false blood, you register of lies,
What unapproved witness dost thou bear!			What uncorroborated testimony you bear!
Ink would have seemed more black and damned here!			Ink would have looked blacker and damneder here!
This said, in top of rage the lines she rents,			This said, in anger at the lines she hires,
Big discontents so breaking their contents.			Great dissatisfaction that thus breaks its content.
A reverend man that grazed his cattle nigh,			A venerable man who grazed his cattle nearby,
Sometime a blusterer that the ruffle knew			Eventually a clumsy ruffle knew
Of court, of city, and had let go by			From court, from city, and had let pass
The swiftest hours observed as they flew,			Watched the fastest hours fly
Towards this afflicted fancy fastly drew;			To this troubled imagination drew fast;
And, privileged by age, desires to know			And, privileged by age, wants to know
In brief the grounds and motives of her woe.			In brief, the reasons and motives of their woe.
So slides he down upon his grained bat,			So he slides on his grained bat,
And comely distant sits he by her side;			And he sits a long way away at her side;
When he again desires her, being sat,			When he desires her again, sit,
Her grievance with his hearing to divide.			Sharing your complaint with his ear.
If that from him there may be aught applied			If that is from him, anything can be applied
Which may her suffering ecstasy assuage,			What may soothe her suffering ecstasy,
Tis promised in the charity of age.			Tis promised in charity of old age.
Father,' she says, 'though in me you behold			"Father," she says, "although you see in me
The injury of many a blasting hour,			The injury of many explosive hours,
Let it not tell your judgement I am old:			Don't let it be your judgement, I'm old:
Not age, but sorrow, over me hath power.			Not age, but grief has power over me.
I might as yet have been a spreading flower,			I could have been another spreading flower
Fresh to myself, if I had self-applied			Fresh for me if I had applied myself
Love to myself, and to no love beside.			Love for myself and no love besides.
But woe is me! too early I attended			"But woe to me! I participated too early
A youthful suit- it was to gain my grace-			A youthful suit - it should win my grace -
O, one by nature's outwards so commended			Oh, one is so praised by nature
That maidens' eyes stuck over all his face.			This virgin's eyes were glued all over his face.
Love lacked a dwelling and made him her place;			Love had no dwelling and made him her place;
And when in his fair parts she did abide,			And as she stayed in his beautiful parts,
She was new lodged and newly deified.			She was rehoused and re-deified.
His browny locks did hang in crooked curls;			“His brown locks hung in crooked curls;
And every light occasion of the wind			And every slight opportunity of the wind
Upon his lips their silken parcels hurls.			Their silk packages hurl against his lips.
What's sweet to do, to do will aptly find:			What is sweet to do will find apt:
Each eye that saw him did enchant the mind;			Every eye that saw him enchanted the mind;
For on his visage was in little drawn			Because little was drawn on his face
What largeness thinks in Paradise was sawn.			What greatness thinks in paradise has been sawn up.
Small show of man was yet upon his chin;			Little show of man was still on his chin;
His phoenix down began but to appear,			His phoenix below began to appear, but
Like unshorn velvet, on that termless skin,			Like unshorn velvet on this expressionless skin
Whose bare out-bragged the web it seemed to wear:			Whose bare net seemed to carry it:
Yet showed his visage by that cost more dear;			And yet his countenance thereby showed more dearly;
And nice affections wavering stood in doubt			And wavering beautiful affections stood in doubt
If best were as it was, or best without.			Best as is, or best without.
His qualities were beauteous as his form,			"His qualities were as beautiful as his form,
For maiden-tongued he was, and thereof free;			For he was a virgin and free from it;
Yet if men moved him, was he such a storm			But when men moved him, he was such a storm
As oft 'twixt May and April is to see,			As often seen between May and April,
When winds breathe sweet, unruly though they be.			When winds breathe sweetly though unruly.
His rudeness so with his authorized youth			His rudeness so with his authorized youth
Did livery falseness in a pride of truth.			Falsehood liveried in the pride of truth.
Well could he ride, and often men would say,			"He could ride well, and men often said:
"That horse his mettle from his rider takes:			"That horse takes his courage from his rider:
Proud of subjection, noble by the sway,			Proud of submission, noble by the sway,
What rounds, what bounds, what course, what stop he makes!"			What laps, what jumps, what course, what stops does he do!"
And controversy hence a question takes			And controversy therefore lasts a question
Whether the horse by him became his deed,			Whether the horse of his became his deed,
Or he his manage by th' well-doing steed.			Or he lets himself be led by the wealthy horse.
But quickly on this side the verdict went:			But quickly the verdict fell on this side:
His real habitude gave life and grace			His real habit gave life and grace
To appertainings and to ornament,			To the objects and to the jewelry,
Accomplished in himself, not in his case,			Accomplished in himself, not in his case,
All aids, themselves made fairer by their place,			All helpers, themselves made more righteous by their place,
Came for additions; yet their purposed trim			came for supplements; yet their intended trim
Pierced not his grace, but were all graced by him.			His grace was not pierced, but all were honored by him.
So on the tip of his subduing tongue			So on the tip of his submissive tongue
All kind of arguments and question deep,			All kinds of arguments and questions deep,
All replication prompt, and reason strong,			All replication prompt, and reason strong,
For his advantage still did wake and sleep.			To his advantage he still woke and slept.
To make the weeper laugh, the laugher weep,			To make the crying laugh, the laughing cry,
He had the dialect and different skill,			He had the dialect and other skills
Catching all passions in his craft of will,			Catching all passions in his craft of will,
That he did in the general bosom reign			He did so in general bosom rule
Of young, of old, and sexes both enchanted,			From young, from old, and both sexes enchanted,
To dwell with him in thoughts, or to remain			To linger or stay with him in thought
In personal duty, following where he haunted.			In personal duty, following where he haunted.
Consents bewitched, ere he desire, have granted,			consents enchanted before he will, granted,
And dialogued for him what he would say,			And spoke for him what he would say
Asked their own wills, and made their wills obey.			Asked their own will and made their will obey.
Many there were that did his picture get,			There were many who received his image,
To serve their eyes, and in it put their mind;			To serve their eyes and fix their minds;
Like fools that in th' imagination set			Like fools that set in th' conceit
The goodly objects which abroad they find			The beautiful objects you find abroad
Of lands and mansions, theirs in thought assigned;			Of lands and mansions allotted to them in thought;
And labouring in moe pleasures to bestow them			And work in many joys to bestow them
Than the true gouty landlord which doth owe them.			As the real gout host who owes them.
So many have, that never touched his hand,			Having so many who have never touched his hand,
Sweetly supposed them mistress of his heart.			Suss considered her the mistress of his heart.
My woeful self, that did in freedom stand,			My sad self that stood at liberty
And was my own fee-simple, not in part,			And was my own fee-simple, not partial,
What with his art in youth, and youth in art,			What about his art in youth and youth in art,
Threw my affections in his charmed power			Cast my affections into his enchanted power
Reserved the stalk and gave him all my flower.			Reserved the stem and gave him my whole flower.
Yet did I not, as some my equals did,			"Yet I have not, like some of my kind,
Demand of him, nor being desired yielded;			Demand from him, still relented;
Finding myself in honour so forbid,			To find me in honor forbids
With safest distance I mine honour shielded.			I protect my honor with the safest distance.
Experience for me many bulwarks builded			Experience for me many built bulwarks
Of proofs new-bleeding, which remained the foil			Evidence of rebleeding that remained the slide
Of this false jewel, and his amorous spoil.			Of this false jewel and its amorous prey.
But ah, who ever shunned by precedent			“But alas, who has avoided a precedent
The destined ill she must herself assay?			The disease of fate that she must examine herself?
Or forced examples, 'gainst her own content,			Or forced examples, 'against their own content,
To put the by-past perils in her way?			To put the dangers of the past in her way?
Counsel may stop awhile what will not stay;			The council may stop for a while, which won't stay;
For when we rage, advice is often seen			Because when we rage, one often sees counsel
By blunting us to make our wills more keen.			By dulling us to sharpen our will.
Nor gives it satisfaction to our blood			“It gives no satisfaction to our blood either
That we must curb it upon others' proof,			That we must curb it by the evidence of others
To be forbod the sweets that seems so good			To ban the sweets that seem so good
For fear of harms that preach in our behoof.			For fear of harm preaching on our behalf.
O appetite, from judgement stand aloof!			O appetite, stay away from the court!
The one a palate hath that needs will taste,			What a palate needs will taste,
Though Reason weep, and cry it is thy last.			Though reason cries and cries, it's your last.
For further I could say this man's untrue,			"For further I might say this man is untrue,
And knew the patterns of his foul beguiling;			And knew the patterns of his foul beguiling;
Heard where his plants in others' orchards grew;			Heard where his plants grew in others' orchards;
Saw how deceits were gilded in his smiling;			Saw deceit gilded in his smile;
Knew vows were ever brokers to defiling;			Knew vows were always brokers to profane;
Thought characters and words merely but art,			thought signs and words only as art,
And bastards of his foul adulterate heart.			And bastards of his rotten, corrupted heart.
And long upon these terms I held my city,			"And long under these conditions did I hold my city,
Till thus he 'gan besiege me: "Gentle maid,			Until he besieged me like this: "Madame,
Have of my suffering youth some feeling pity,			Have pity on my suffering youth,
And be not of my holy vows afraid.			And do not fear my sacred vows.
That's to ye sworn to none was ever said;			This is sworn to you, it was never said;
For feasts of love I have been called unto,			I was called to festivals of love
Till now did ne'er invite nor never woo.			Until now, never invited never advertised.
"All my offences that abroad you see			“All my offenses you see abroad
Are errors of the blood, none of the mind;			Are faults of blood, not of mind;
Love made them not; with acture they may be,			She didn't make love; with acture you can be
Where neither party is nor true nor kind.			Where there is neither party, nor true, nor kind.
They sought their shame that so their shame did find;			They sought their shame, which thus found their shame;
And so much less of shame in me remains			And so much less shame remains in me
By how much of me their reproach contains.			How much of me does your accusation contain.
"Among the many that mine eyes have seen,			"Among the many who have seen my eyes,
Not one whose flame my heart so much as warmed,			Not one whose flame even warmed my heart
Or my affection put to th' smallest teen,			Or my affection for the smallest teenager
Or any of my leisures ever charmed.			Or any of my pastimes that have ever been enchanted.
Harm have I done to them, but ne'er was harmed;			I have harmed them, but no one has been harmed;
Kept hearts in liveries, but mine own was free,			Kept hearts in liveries but my own was free
And reigned commanding in his monarchy.			And reigned supreme in his monarchy.
"Look here what tributes wounded fancies sent me,			"Look here what tributes wounded fantasies sent me,
Of paled pearls and rubies red as blood;			Of pale pearls and rubies red as blood;
Figuring that they their passions likewise lent me			I think they lent me their passions too
Of grief and blushes, aptly understood			Of sadness and blushing, aptly understood
In bloodless white and the encrimsoned mood-			In bloodless white and crimson mood -
Effects of terror and dear modesty,			terror and dear modesty,
Encamped in hearts, but fighting outwardly.			Stored in the heart, but fighting on the outside.
"And, lo, behold these talents of their hair,			"And behold these talents of her hair,
With twisted metal amorously empleached,			With twisted metal lovingly employed,
I have receiv'd from many a several fair,			I have received from many fairs,
Their kind acceptance weepingly beseeched,			Your kind acceptance begged weeping,
With the annexions of fair gems enriched,			Enriched with the cultivations of beautiful gems,
And deep-brained sonnets that did amplify			And profound sonnets that intensified
Each stone's dear nature, worth, and quality.			The nature, value and quality of each stone.
"The diamond? why, 'twas beautiful and hard,			"The diamond? why, he was beautiful and hard,
Whereto his invised properties did tend;			Wherever his invised characteristics tended;
The deep-green em'rald, in whose fresh regard			The deep green emerald, in its fresh contemplation
Weak sights their sickly radiance do amend;			Faint sights enhance their sickly luster;
The heaven-hued sapphire and the opal blend			The sky colored sapphire and opal mix
With objects manifold; each several stone,			With varied objects; several stones each,
With wit well blazoned, smiled, or made some moan.			Bragged well with jokes, smiled or made to moan.
"Lo, all these trophies of affections hot,			"Behold all these trophies of affection hot,
Of pensived and subdued desires the tender,			From thoughtful and hushed desires the tender,
Nature hath charged me that I hoard them not,			Nature told me not to hoard them
But yield them up where I myself must render-			But give them to where I have to deliver myself -
That is, to you, my origin and ender;			This is my beginning and end for you;
For these, of force, must your oblations be,			For these your offerings must be of violence,
Since I their altar, you enpatron me.			Since I have her altar, you protect me.
"O then advance of yours that phraseless hand			"O then move your wordless hand
Whose white weighs down the airy scale of praise;			Whose white weighs down the airy praise scales;
Take all these similes to your own command,			Take all these parables at your own command,
Hallowed with sighs that burning lungs did raise;			Sanctified with sighs that lifted burning lungs;
What me your minister for you obeys			What me your minister obeys for you
Works under you; and to your audit comes			Works under you; and come to your exam
Their distract parcels in combined sums.			Their distracting packages add up to combined totals.
"Lo, this device was sent me from a nun,			"Behold, this device was sent to me by a nun,
Or sister sanctified, of holiest note,			Or sister sanctified, of holiest note,
Which late her noble suit in court did shun,			Which later her noble suit avoided in court,
Whose rarest havings made the blossoms dote;			Whose rarest possessions the blossoms ecstatic;
For she was sought by spirits of richest coat,			For she was sought by spirits of the richest mantle,
But kept cold distance, and did thence remove			But kept cold distance and moved away from there
To spend her living in eternal love.			To spend their lives in eternal love.
"But, O my sweet, what labour is't to leave			"But, O my sweet, what work is not to be left
The thing we have not, mast'ring what not strives,			Mastering what we don't have, what doesn't strive,
Playing the place which did no form receive,			Playing the course that received no form
Playing patient sports in unconstrained gyves!			Patient sport in casual gyves!
She that her fame so to herself contrives,			She that takes her fame so her own
The scars of battle scapeth by the flight,			Battle scars fly away
And makes her absence valiant, not her might.			And makes brave their absence, not their power.
"O pardon me in that my boast is true!			"O forgive me that my boast is true!
The accident which brought me to her eye			The accident that brought me to her eye
Upon the moment did her force subdue,			The moment her strength subdued
And now she would the caged cloister fly.			And now she would fly the caged monastery.
Religious love put out religion's eye.			Religious love puts out religion's eye.
Not to be tempted, would she be immured,			To avoid being tempted she would be walled up
And now to tempt all liberty procured.			And now lead all the freedom you have won into temptation.
"How mighty then you are, O hear me tell!			"How powerful are you, hear me say!
The broken bosoms that to me belong			The broken breasts that are mine
Have emptied all their fountains in my well,			Have all emptied their fountains into my well,
And mine I pour your ocean all among.			And mine I pour your ocean over everything.
I strong o'er them, and you o'er me being strong,			I am strong over them and you over me because I am strong
Must for your victory us all congest,			must jam us all for your victory,
As compound love to physic your cold breast.			As a compound love of physics, your cold chest.
"My parts had pow'r to charm a sacred nun,			"My parts had power to charm a holy nun,
Who, disciplined, ay, dieted in grace,			Who, disciplined, yes, dieted in mercy,
Believed her eyes when they t'assail begun,			Believed their eyes when they started attacking
All vows and consecrations giving place,			All vows and consecrations give place,
O most potential love, vow, bond, nor space,			O most potential love, vows, attachment, still space,
In thee hath neither sting, knot, nor confine,			In you there is neither spike nor knot nor chain,
For thou art all, and all things else are thine.			Because you are everything and everything else is yours.
"When thou impressest, what are precepts worth			"If you're going to impress, what's bidding worth
Of stale example? When thou wilt inflame,			Of stale example? If you want to ignite
How coldly those impediments stand forth,			How coldly do these obstacles stand out
Of wealth, of filial fear, law, kindred, fame!			Of riches, of childlike fears, of law, of kinship, of fame!
Love's arms are peace, 'gainst rule, 'gainst sense, 'gainst			The arms of love are peace, against domination, against reason, against reason
shame.			Shame.
And sweetens, in the suff'ring pangs it bears,			And sweetened in the torments it bears,
The aloes of all forces, shocks and fears.			The aloe of all forces, shocks and fears.
"Now all these hearts that do on mine depend,			"Now all these hearts that depend on mine,
Feeling it break, with bleeding groans they pine,			Feel it break, with bleeding moans they languish,
And supplicant their sighs to your extend,			And pleading their sighs to you,
To leave the batt'ry that you make 'gainst mine,			To leave the battery you make against mine
Lending soft audience to my sweet design,			Give my sweet design gentle audience,
And credent soul to that strong-bonded oath,			And credible soul to that strong bound oath,
That shall prefer and undertake my troth."			That will prefer my allegiance and take over.”
This said, his wat'ry eyes he did dismount,			"This said, his teary eyes descended,
Whose sights till then were levelled on my face;			Whose eyes until then were on my face;
Each cheek a river running from a fount			Each cheek a river flowing from a spring
With brinish current downward flowed apace.			With brinish stream flowed down fast.
O, how the channel to the stream gave grace!			Oh, how the canal gave grace to the river!
Who glazed with crystal gate the glowing roses			Who glazed the shining roses with crystal gates
That flame through water which their hue encloses.			This flame through water enclosing her hue.
O father, what a hell of witchcraft lies			"Oh father, what infernal witch lies
In the small orb of one particular tear!			In the small ball of a certain tear!
But with the inundation of the eyes			But with the flooding of the eyes
What rocky heart to water will not wear?			What rocky heart to water will not bear?
What breast so cold that is not warmed here?			Which breast is so cold that it is not warmed here?
O cleft effect! cold modesty, hot wrath,			O fission effect! cold modesty, hot anger,
Both fire from hence and chill extincture hath.			Both fire from hence and cold are extinguished.
For lo, his passion, but an art of craft,			For behold his passion but an art of craft,
Even there resolved my reason into tears;			There, too, my sanity dissolved in tears;
There my white stole of chastity I daffed,			There I have drugged my white stole of chastity,
Shook off my sober guards and civil fears;			Shake off my sober wakes and civic fears;
Appear to him as he to me appears,			Appear to him as he appears to me
All melting; though our drops this diff'rence bore:			all melting; although our drops carried this difference:
His poisoned me, and mine did him restore.			His poisoned me and mine restored him.
In him a plenitude of subtle matter,			"In him an abundance of subtle matter,
Applied to cautels, all strange forms receives,			Applied to cautels, gains all strange forms,
Of burning blushes or of weeping water,			From burning blushes or from weeping waters,
Or swooning paleness; and he takes and leaves,			Or fainting pallor; and he takes and goes
In either's aptness, as it best deceives,			In any case, as it best deceives,
To blush at speeches rank, to weep at woes,			blush when we speak, cry when we suffer,
Or to turn white and swoon at tragic shows;			Or going white and passed out at tragic shows;
That not a heart which in his level came			This is not a heart that has risen to its height
Could scape the hail of his all-hurting aim,			Could escape the hail of his all hurting target,
Showing fair nature is both kind and tame;			Showing fairness is both kind and tame;
And, veiled in them, did win whom he would maim.			And, veiled in it, he won whom he wished to maim.
Against the thing he sought he would exclaim;			Against what he sought he would cry out;
When he most burned in heart-wished luxury,			When he burned most in heart's desired luxury,
He preached pure maid and praised cold chastity.			He preached the pure handmaid and praised cold chastity.
Thus merely with the garment of a Grace			So only with the robe of mercy
The naked and concealed fiend he covered,			He covered the naked and hidden fiend,
That th' unexperient gave the tempter place,			That the inexperienced gave way to the tempter,
Which, like a cherubin, above them hovered.			Hovering over them like a cherub.
Who, young and simple, would not be so lovered?			Who, young and simple, would not be so loved?
Ay me, I fell, and yet do question make			Ay me, I fell, and yet ask question
What I should do again for such a sake.			What am I supposed to do again for someone like that.
O, that infected moisture of his eye,			O, that infected dampness of his eye,
O, that false fire which in his cheek so glowed,			O that false fire that blazed in his cheek
O, that forced thunder from his heart did fly,			O, that forced thunder flew from his heart,
O, that sad breath his spongy lungs bestowed,			O, that sad breath his spongy lungs bestowed,
O, all that borrowed motion, seeming owed,			O, all this borrowed move that seems owed
Would yet again betray the fore-betrayed,			Would betray those who had been betrayed again
And new pervert a reconciled maid.'			And newly perverse a reconciled maid.'
THE END			THE END