Love
To a Gentlewoman from whome he tooke a Ring
From Epitaphes, Epigrams, Songs and Sonets (1567)
WHat néedes this frowning face?
what meanes your looke so coye?
Is all this for a Ring,
a trifle and a toye?
What though I rest your Ring?
I tooke it not to kéepe:
Therefore you néede the lesse
in such dispite to wéepe.
For Cupid shall be iudge
and Vmpire in this case,
Or who by hap shall next
approche into this place.
You tooke from mée my hart,
I caught from you a Ring:
Whose is the greatest losse?
where ought the griefe to spring?
Kéepe you as well my hart,
as I will kéepe your Ring,
And you shall iudge at last
that you haue lost nothing.
For if a Friendly hart
so stuft with staide looue,
In value doe not passe
the Ring you may reprooue
The reauing of the same,
and I of force must say
That I deserude the blame
who tooke your Ring away.
But what if you doe wreake
your malice on my hart?
Then giue mée leaue to thinke
you guiltie for your part.
And when so ere I yeelde
to you your Ring againe,
Restore me vp my hart
that now you put to paine.
For so we both be pleasde,
to say we may be bolde
That neyther to the losse
of vs hath bought or solde.
Cite this poem
MLA
Turberville, George. “To a Gentlewoman from whome he tooke a Ring.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/turberville/108/.
Chicago
Turberville, George. “To a Gentlewoman from whome he tooke a Ring.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/turberville/108/.
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