Portal:Poetry/poem archive/Week 3 2007

The Dolefull Lay of Clorinda (c. 1500; first five stanzas)
 * Mary Sidney Herbert

AY me, to whom shall I my case complaine? That may compassion my impatient griefe? Or where shall I unfold my inward paine, That my enriuen heart may find reliefe?
 * Shall I vnto the heauenly powres it show?
 * Or unto earthly men that dwell below?

To heauens? ah they alas the authors were, And workers of my vnremedied wo: For they foresee what to vs happens here, And they foresaw, yet suffred this be so.
 * From them comes good, from them comes also il
 * That which they made, who can them warne to spill.

To men? ah, they alas like wretched bee, And subiect to the heauens ordinance: Bound to abide what euer they decree, Their best redresse, is their best sufferance.
 * How then can they like wretched comfort mee,
 * The which no lesse, need comforted to bee?

Then to my selfe will I my sorrow mourne, Sith none aliue like sorrowfull remaines: And to my selfe my plaints shall back retourne, To pay their vsury with doubled paines.
 * The woods, the hills, the riuers shall resound
 * The mournfull accent of my sorrowes ground.

Woods, hills and riuers, now are desolate, Sith he is gone the which them all did grace: And all the fields do waile their widow state, Sith death their fairest flowre did late deface.
 * The fairest flowre in field that euer grew,
 * Was Astrophel: that was, we all may rew.

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