Alas, my love, if I could make you And from the page step forth and sit me Or better still, bestride the steed I you Wrapped close within the cloak I lent to hide Perhaps I'd venture to ask thy name Since thou liest underneath my pen That honour given which the poorest Unjustly was withheld. But if I thee captive as I did ere now Stalling to pass my fingers through the Of midnight tendrils, or thy brow In of sending off what heaven cast Too early for my insufficient To the fullest detail and retain The presence that your image left thou in all thy glory should remain I fear my oversight I would not For now upon reflection I That secretly I did intend With title long or rich to bless But let in my imagination Run the thoughts of who perhaps you were your soul demanded your creation And deigned my mind and willing to stir For such a noble and face Could well be but newborn this sphere But among a distant beauteous race Thou hast known more than all who dwelleth And could tell of places thou hast seen And battles fought for honours won and And how each service done a faerie Becomes a brighter jewel than it The of your world, you may impart to be neither over-graced Nor in the art Of living, where their lips were to taste A of feline stealth they wear about them And while a flame of innocence they In forests dark you fear to be them For knights of kinds are ne'er so bold Yes, in thy orb a may be a knight (Thou knew'st a friend would make this news) a whisper loud or censure slight For lords are not afeared their to lose Where no may be taken or be kept No be granted, nor no bride No may be stolen while she slept Nor of her freedom to decide suits her best. No county's law is needed To cut the weed of violence from the No for the law to go unheeded For as these do not occur to them The gentlemen you are rarer still For in eyes, as in the depths of thine Such and thrilling mysteries fulfill The darkest corners of their heart's Their arrows, much like those I to thee Could not but graze the flank of cow Without him laugh. 'Tis much to see Them their prey. I know not how They ever do encapture what eat Save perhaps their bright unfettered brains Have learned that what grows underneath their And in the above better sustains A life intent on living well But how, I ask thee, most endearing Do and ladies love where is no sorrow No strife to overcome, no uncleaned Of crushing ardor worn out its stay, Betrothal to a mortal divine Than that who stole thy breath away No hot kisses for to pine No heart affixed to age heart is young No ill suitors to evade? "Still madam! thou kindly hold thy tongue!" Thou sayest. "Your mistake has rash made In living long in combat with your Thou see'st no obstacle but these Thy hands are that have yet to find The hands that first should them. Yet to please The hierarchy which you serve Thou dost believe that love in fighting That in love is not befitting But in thy sadness thou light of woes For even there ne'er a cloudy day No to divide what love had bound The which the moon holds in her sway Could not but stir the peace it found The wound is deeper than the sea thee The stars my doublet you have drawn May light my path, but how, without me Wilt thou escape the fate thou on?" And in this way and more my spoke O, fierce, savage, gentle bright Thou who I've given breath my has broke You had but not the right Could I but see the that dare not breathe are so beautiful and pressing sweet Could I but the wings that underneath Are so soft thy heart forgets to beat Perhaps I should have for which to strive You came to my domain and despair For though I be the heart alive The you speak of will not take me there you no pity? Can'st thou not perceive That I, a blinded beast, had but the To see where I would love? thou believe That ere you came I was but disguise? I know the murmur of music The things no heart could comprehend I render'st thou for all torment feels And longed to be thy lordship's faithful Yea, as a mushroom did I wait I willed to my form to overtake I shivered at each passing horse's And so I slept to awake Alas, my love, wilt thou me goodbye? The lingering night will aid on thy travels I'll craft but one thing more, a to fly Before to me how thy tale unravels I say, thou art and free to go What holds thee here save one who lives no For I given thee the life you know The I become, thou art the stronger And in your antique words clear intent Was once thou art gone I should dismay Quothe thee, "Your mistook me, for I meant To leave thee not but to stay. For true, I did in my own realm Partake of that pure love of which I thee But be my guide and with me at the And I shall, in the you wrought, enfold thee And journey to the ends of all the For thou hast proved more and wise Than all we faeries, moons and stars are For live we not but living in eyes." Dear nameless knight, if would'st be mine own And leave thy dragons for a thou may'st in these arms within which thou hast grown A better reason than the which say'st But with your hand you swear I so And 'tis not plain to me, I did draw it Which way thou dost for us to go in the mind it is of she who saw it Yet still perhaps I thee to discover What one do if one were asked to choose 'Tween back and forwards. Be thee friend or Perhaps you were to be my favorite Thou feel'st thy armor; but when you must Thou see'st the blade of truth below thy Use arrows against all whom you But when ride'st my way, aim one at me Your world is as ere it was before Your time beneath my busy hand spent made a thing I love; I ask no more And never redeem the heart I lent Me in my world and in thine Two petals on the same and flower And evermore welcome thee in mine Your dear creation was my finest