Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Silentium Amoris (Author: Oscar Wilde)

p.775

1. 1] As often-times the too resplendent sun
   2] Hurries the pallid and reluctant moon
   3] Back to her sombre cave, ere she hath won
   4] A single ballad from the nightingale,
   5] So doth thy Beauty make my lips to fail,
   6] And all my sweetest singing out of tune.
2. 7] And as at dawn across the level mead
   8] On wings impetuous some wind will come,
   9] And with its too harsh kisses break the reed
   10] Which was its only instrument of song,
   11] So my too stormy passions work me wrong,
   12] And for excess of Love my Love is dumb.
3. 13] But surely unto Thee mine eyes did show
   14] Why I am silent, and my lute unstrung;
   15] Else it were better we should part, and go,
   16] Thou to some lips of sweeter melody,
   17] And I to nurse the barren memory
   18] Of unkissed kisses, and songs never sung.