| ON a day, alack the day! | |
| Love, whose month was ever May, | |
| Spied a blossom passing fair, | |
| Playing in the wanton air: | |
| Through the velvet leaves the wind, | 5 |
| All unseen, ’gan passage find; | |
| That the lover, sick to death, | |
| Wish’d himself the heaven’s breath. | |
| ‘Air,’ quoth he, ‘thy cheeks may blow; | |
| Air, would I might triumph so! | 10 |
| But, alas! my hand hath sworn | |
| Ne’er to pluck thee from thy thorn: | |
| Vow, alack! for youth unmeet: | |
| Youth, so apt to pluck a sweet. | |
| Thou for whom Jove would swear | 15 |
| Juno but an Ethiop were; | |
| And deny himself for Jove, | |
| Turning mortal for thy love.’ |