Love

Break now, my heart, and die! O no, she may relent

by Thomas Campion 1567–1620

From The Third Book of Airs (c. 1617)

Love

Break now, my heart, and die! O no, she may relent.
Let my despair prevail! O stay, hope is not spent.
Should she now fix one smile on thee, where were despair?
The loss is but easy, which smiles can repair.
A stranger would please thee, if she were as fair.

Her must I love or none, so sweet none breathes as she;
The more is my despair, alas, she loves not me!
But cannot time make way for love through ribs of steel?
The Grecian, enchanted all parts but the heel,
At last a shaft daunted, which his heart did feel.

✦ ✦ ✦

The Third Book of Airs (c. 1617)

MLA

Campion, Thomas. “Break now, my heart, and die! O no, she may relent.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/78/.

Chicago

Campion, Thomas. “Break now, my heart, and die! O no, she may relent.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/78/.

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