Love

Love's Embassy, in an Iambic Elegy

by Edmund Spenser 1552–1599

From A Poetical Rhapsody (1602), ed. A. H. Bullen (1890–91)

Love

Unhappy verse! the witness of my unhappy state!
Make thyself flutt'ring wings of thy fast-flying thought,
And fly forth unto my love, wheresoever she be.

Whether lying restless in heavy bed, or else
Sitting so cheerless at the cheerful board, or else
Playing alone careless on her heavenly virginals.

If in bed, tell her that mine eyes can take no rest;
If at board, tell her that my mouth can taste no food;
If at her virginals, tell her I can hear no mirth.

Asked why, say, waking Love suffereth no sleep;
Say, that raging love doth appal the weak stomach;
Say, that lamenting love marreth the musical.

Tell her, that her pleasures were wont to lull me asleep;
Tell her, that her beauty was wont to feed mine eyes;
Tell her, that her sweet tongue was wont to make me mirth.

Now do I nightly waste, wanting my kindly rest;
Now do I daily starve, wanting my lively food;
Now do I always die, wanting my timely mirth.

And if I waste, who will bewail my heavy chance?
And if I starve, who will record my cursed end?
And if I die, who will say, this was Immerito?

✦ ✦ ✦

Printed in the Rhapsody under Spenser's name; it first appeared in 1580, in his letter to Gabriel Harvey.

MLA

Spenser, Edmund. “Love's Embassy, in an Iambic Elegy.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/spenser/126/.

Chicago

Spenser, Edmund. “Love's Embassy, in an Iambic Elegy.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/spenser/126/.

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