1487Where art thou, Muse, that thou forget'st so long

1488To speak of that which gives thee all thy might?

1489Spend'st thou thy fury on some worthless song,

1490Darkening thy power to lend base subjects light?

1491Return, forgetful Muse, and straight redeem,

1492In gentle numbers, time so idly spent;

1493Sing to the ear that doth thy lays esteem,

1494And gives thy pen both skill and argument.

1495Rise, resty Muse; my love's sweet face survey,

1496If time have any wrinkle graven there;

1497If any, be a satire to decay,

1498And make time's spoils despised everywhere.

1499 Give my love fame faster than time wastes life,

1500 So thou prevent'st his scythe and crooked knife.

1502O truant Muse, what shall be thy amends

1503For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed?

1504Both truth and beauty on my love depends;

1505So dost thou too, and therein dignified.

1506Make answer, Muse, wilt thou not haply say,

1507"Truth needs no color with his color fixed,

1508Beauty no pencil, beauty's truth to lay,

1509But best is best if never intermixed"?

1510Because he needs no praise, wilt thou be dumb?

1511Excuse not silence so, for't lies in thee

1512To make him much outlive a gilded tomb,

1513And to be praised of ages yet to be.

1514 Then do thy office, Muse; I teach thee how

1515 To make him seem long hence, as he shows now.

1517My love is strengthened, though more weak in seeming;

1518I love not less, though less the show appear.

1519That love is merchandised, whose rich esteeming4

1520The owner's tongue doth publish everywhere.

1521Our love was new, and then but in the spring,

1522When I was wont to greet it with my lays,

1523As Philomel in summer's front doth sing,

1524And stops her pipe in growth of riper days.

1525Not that the summer is less pleasant now

1526Than when her mournful hymns did hush the night;

1527But that wild music burdens every bough,

1528And sweets grown common lose their dear delight.

1529 Therefore, like her, I sometime hold my tongue,

1530 Because I would not dull you with my song.