《The Blossome》约翰·但恩诗赏析

The Blossome

Little think'st thou, poore flower,

Whom I have watch'd sixe or seaven dayes,

And seene thy birth, and seene what every houre

Gave to thy growth, thee to this height to raise,

And now dost laugh and triumph on this bough, 

Little think'st thou

That it will freeze anon, and that I shall

To morrow finde thee falne, or not at all.

Little think'st thou poore heart

That labour'st yet to nestle thee, 

And think'st by hovering here to get a part

In a forbidden or forbidding tree,

And hop'st her stiffenesse by long siege to bow:

Little think'st thou,

That thou to morrow, ere that Sunne doth wake, 

Must with this Sunne, and mee a journey take.

But thou which lov'st to bee

Subtile to plague thy selfe, wilt say,

Alas, if you must goe, what's that to mee?

Here lyes my businesse, and here I will stay: 

You goe to friends, whose love and meanes present

Various content

To your eyes, eares, and tongue, and every part.

If then your body goe, what need you a heart?

Well then, stay here; but know, 

When thou hast stayd and done thy most;

A naked thinking heart, that makes no show,

Is to a woman, but a kinde of Ghost;

How shall shee know my heart; or having none,

Know thee for one? 

Practise may make her know some other part,

But take my word, shee doth not know a Heart.

Meet mee at London, then,

Twenty dayes hence, and thou shalt see

Mee fresher, and more fat, by being with men, 

Then if I had staid still with her and thee.

For Gods sake, if you can, be you so too:

I would give you

There, to another friend, whom wee shall finde

As glad to have my body, as my minde.