Love
Come, you pretty false-eyed wanton
From Two Books of Airs: Light Conceits of Lovers (c. 1613)
Come, you pretty false-eyed wanton,
Leave your crafty smiling!
Think you to escape me now
With slipp'ry words beguiling!
No; you mocked me th'other day;
When you got loose, you fled away;
But, since I have caught you now,
I'll clip your wings for flying:
Smoth'ring kisses fast I'll heap,
And keep you so from crying.
Sooner may you count the stars,
And number hail down pouring,
Tell the osiers of the Thames,
Or Goodwin sands devouring,
Than the thick-showered kisses here
Which now thy tired lips must bear.
Such a harvest never was,
So rich and full of pleasure,
But 'tis spent as soon as reaped,
So trustless is love's treasure.
Would it were dumb midnight now,
When all the world lies sleeping!
Would this place some desert were,
Which no man hath in keeping!
My desires should then be safe,
And when you cried then would I laugh
But if aught might breed offence,
Love only should be blamed:
I would live your servant still,
And you my saint unnamed.
Codex Note
Two Books of Airs: Light Conceits of Lovers (c. 1613)
Cite this poem
MLA
Campion, Thomas. “Come, you pretty false-eyed wanton.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/64/.
Chicago
Campion, Thomas. “Come, you pretty false-eyed wanton.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/64/.
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