Love

Lady, the melting crystal of your eye

by Anonymous (Elizabethan songs) c. 1588–1630

From Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. A. H. Bullen (London: Nimmo, 1891)

Love

Lady, the melting crystal of your eye
Like frozen drops upon your cheeks did lie;
Mine eye was dancing on them with delight,
And saw love's flames within them burning bright,
Which did mine eye entice
To play with burning ice;
But O, my heart thus sporting with desire,
My careless eye did set my heart on fire.

O that a drop from such a sweet fount flying
Should flame like fire and leave my heart a-dying!
I burn, my tears can never drench it
Till in your eyes I bathe my heart and quench it:
But there, alas, love with his fire lies sleeping,
And all conspire to burn my heart with weeping.

✦ ✦ ✦

From Thomas Greaves' Songs of Sundry Kinds, 1604.

MLA

Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “Lady, the melting crystal of your eye.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/72/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Elizabethan songs). “Lady, the melting crystal of your eye.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-elizabethan-songs/72/.

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