Love

Blame not my cheeks, though pale with love they be

by Thomas Campion 1567–1620

From A Book of Airs (1601)

Love

Blame not my cheeks, though pale with love they be,
The kindly heat unto my heart is flown,
To cherish it that is dismayed by thee,
Who art so cruel and unsteadfast grown:
For Nature, called for by distressed hearts,
Neglects and quite forsakes the outward parts.

But they whose cheeks with careless blood are stained,
Nurse not one spark of love within their hearts;
And, when they woo, they speak with passion feigned,
For their fat love lies in their outward parts:
But in their breasts, where love his court should hold,
Poor Cupid sits and blows his nails for cold.

✦ ✦ ✦

A Book of Airs (1601)

MLA

Campion, Thomas. “Blame not my cheeks, though pale with love they be.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/20/.

Chicago

Campion, Thomas. “Blame not my cheeks, though pale with love they be.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/20/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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