Mary Wroth

Song 3 - Stay, my thoughts

Stay, my thoughts, do not aspire

To vain hopes of high desire:

See you not all means bereft

To enjoy? no hope is left;

Yet still methinks my thoughts do say

Some hopes do live amid dismay;

 

Hope, then once more hope for joy;

Bury fear which joys destroy;

Thought hath yet some comfort given,

Which despair hath from us driven;

Therefore dearly my thoughts cherish

Never let such thinking perish;

 

'Tis an idle thing to plain

Odder far to die for pain,

Think, and see how thoughts do rise

Winning where there no hope lies:

Which alone is lovers' treasure

For by thoughts wee love do measure:

 

Then kind thought my fancies guide

Let me never hopeless slide;

Still maintain thy force in me,

Let my thinking, still bee free:

Nor leave thy might until my death

But let me, thinking, yield up breath.