Week of Love Poetry Day #2
Sunday, September 5th, 2010 10:00 pmThe Sun Rising
Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run ?
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
But that I would not lose her sight so long.
Be where thou left'st them, or lie here with me.
Ask for those kings whom thou saw'st yesterday,
And thou shalt hear, "All here in one bed lay."
All honour's mimic, all wealth alchemy.
To warm the world, that's done in warming us.
Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere ;
This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere.
- John Donne
( Translation )
Busy old fool, unruly Sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains, call on us ?Why dost thou thus,
Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run ?
Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide
Late school-boys and sour prentices,
Late school-boys and sour prentices,
Go tell court-huntsmen that the king will ride,
Call country ants to harvest offices ;
Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,Call country ants to harvest offices ;
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
Thy beams so reverend, and strong
Why shouldst thou think ?
I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink,Why shouldst thou think ?
But that I would not lose her sight so long.
If her eyes have not blinded thine,
Look, and to-morrow late tell me,
Whether both th' Indias of spice and mineLook, and to-morrow late tell me,
Be where thou left'st them, or lie here with me.
Ask for those kings whom thou saw'st yesterday,
And thou shalt hear, "All here in one bed lay."
She's all states, and all princes I ;
Nothing else is ;
Princes do but play us ; compared to this,Nothing else is ;
All honour's mimic, all wealth alchemy.
Thou, Sun, art half as happy as we,
In that the world's contracted thus ;
Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties beIn that the world's contracted thus ;
To warm the world, that's done in warming us.
Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere ;
This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere.
- John Donne
( Translation )