8

8To my love I whisper, and sayKnowest thou why I love thee?—Nay:Nay, she saith; O tell me again.—When in her ear the secret I tell,She smileth with joy incredible—Ha! she is vain—O Nay—Then tell us!—Nay, O nay.But this is in my heart,That Love is Nature’s perfect art,And man hath got his fancy hence,To clothe his thought in forms of sense.Fair are thy works, O man, and fairThy dreams of soul in garments rare,Beautiful past compare,Yea, godlike when thou hast the skillTo steal a stir of the heavenly thrill:But O, have care, have care!’Tis envious even to dare:And many a fiend is watching wellTo flush thy reed with the fire of hell.

8To my love I whisper, and sayKnowest thou why I love thee?—Nay:Nay, she saith; O tell me again.—When in her ear the secret I tell,She smileth with joy incredible—Ha! she is vain—O Nay—Then tell us!—Nay, O nay.But this is in my heart,That Love is Nature’s perfect art,And man hath got his fancy hence,To clothe his thought in forms of sense.Fair are thy works, O man, and fairThy dreams of soul in garments rare,Beautiful past compare,Yea, godlike when thou hast the skillTo steal a stir of the heavenly thrill:But O, have care, have care!’Tis envious even to dare:And many a fiend is watching wellTo flush thy reed with the fire of hell.

To my love I whisper, and sayKnowest thou why I love thee?—Nay:Nay, she saith; O tell me again.—When in her ear the secret I tell,She smileth with joy incredible—Ha! she is vain—O Nay—Then tell us!—Nay, O nay.But this is in my heart,That Love is Nature’s perfect art,And man hath got his fancy hence,To clothe his thought in forms of sense.Fair are thy works, O man, and fairThy dreams of soul in garments rare,Beautiful past compare,Yea, godlike when thou hast the skillTo steal a stir of the heavenly thrill:But O, have care, have care!’Tis envious even to dare:And many a fiend is watching wellTo flush thy reed with the fire of hell.

To my love I whisper, and sayKnowest thou why I love thee?—Nay:Nay, she saith; O tell me again.—When in her ear the secret I tell,She smileth with joy incredible—Ha! she is vain—O Nay—Then tell us!—Nay, O nay.But this is in my heart,That Love is Nature’s perfect art,And man hath got his fancy hence,To clothe his thought in forms of sense.Fair are thy works, O man, and fairThy dreams of soul in garments rare,Beautiful past compare,Yea, godlike when thou hast the skillTo steal a stir of the heavenly thrill:But O, have care, have care!’Tis envious even to dare:And many a fiend is watching wellTo flush thy reed with the fire of hell.

To my love I whisper, and sayKnowest thou why I love thee?—Nay:Nay, she saith; O tell me again.—

To my love I whisper, and say

Knowest thou why I love thee?—Nay:

Nay, she saith; O tell me again.—

When in her ear the secret I tell,She smileth with joy incredible—

When in her ear the secret I tell,

She smileth with joy incredible—

Ha! she is vain—O Nay—Then tell us!—Nay, O nay.

Ha! she is vain—O Nay—

Then tell us!—Nay, O nay.

But this is in my heart,That Love is Nature’s perfect art,And man hath got his fancy hence,To clothe his thought in forms of sense.

But this is in my heart,

That Love is Nature’s perfect art,

And man hath got his fancy hence,

To clothe his thought in forms of sense.

Fair are thy works, O man, and fairThy dreams of soul in garments rare,Beautiful past compare,Yea, godlike when thou hast the skillTo steal a stir of the heavenly thrill:

Fair are thy works, O man, and fair

Thy dreams of soul in garments rare,

Beautiful past compare,

Yea, godlike when thou hast the skill

To steal a stir of the heavenly thrill:

But O, have care, have care!’Tis envious even to dare:And many a fiend is watching wellTo flush thy reed with the fire of hell.

But O, have care, have care!

’Tis envious even to dare:

And many a fiend is watching well

To flush thy reed with the fire of hell.


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