Love

Never love unless you can

by Thomas Campion 1567–1620

From The Third Book of Airs (c. 1617)

Love

Never love unless you can
Bear with all the faults of man:
Men sometimes will jealous be,
Though but little cause they see;
And hang the head, as discontent,
And speak what straight they will repent.

Men that but one saint adore,
Make a show of love to more:
Beauty must be scorned in none,
Though but truly served in one:
For what is courtship, but disguise?
True hearts may have dissembling eyes.

Men when their affairs require,
Must a while themselves retire:
Sometimes hunt, and sometimes hawk,
And not ever sit and talk.
If these, and such like you can bear,
Then like, and love, and never fear!

✦ ✦ ✦

The Third Book of Airs (c. 1617)

MLA

Campion, Thomas. “Never love unless you can.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/94/.

Chicago

Campion, Thomas. “Never love unless you can.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/campion/94/.

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