16111211121"You mocking birds," quoth she, "your tunes entomb
11221122Within your hollow-swelling feathered breasts,
11231123And in my hearing be you mute and dumb;
11241124My restless discord loves no stops nor rests."
11251125A woeful hostess brooks not merry guests.
11261126Relish your nimble notes to pleasing ears;
11271127Distress likes dumps when time is kept with tears."
16211281128"Come, Philomel, that sing'st of ravishment,
11291129Make thy sad grove in my disheveled hair.
11301130As the dank earth weeps at thy languishment,
11311131So I at each sad strain will strain a tear
11321132And with deep groans the diapason bear;
11331133For burden-wise I'll hum on Tarquin still,
11341134While thou on Tereus descants better skill."
16311351135"And whiles against a thorn thou bear'st thy part
11361136To keep thy sharp woes waking, wretched I,
11371137To imitate thee well, against my heart
11381138Will fix a sharp knife to affright mine eye,
11391139Who if it wink shall thereon fall and die.
11401140These means, as frets upon an instrument,
11411141Shall tune our heartstrings to true languishment."
16411421142"And for, poor bird, thou sing'st not in the day,
11431143As shaming any eye should thee behold,
11441144Some dark, deep desert seated from the way,
11451145That knows not parching heat nor freezing cold,
11461146Will we find out, and there we will unfold
11471147To creatures stern sad tunes to change their kinds.
11481148Since men prove beasts, let beasts bear gentle minds."
16511491149As the poor frighted deer that stands at gaze,
11501150Wildly determining which way to fly,
11511151Or one encompassed with a winding maze,
11521152That cannot tread the way out readily,
11531153So with herself is she in mutiny,
11541154To live or die which of the twain were better
11551155When life is shamed and death reproach's debtor.