| Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503–42). The Poetical Works. 1880. | | | | Odes | | That the Season of Enjoyment is short, and should not pass by neglected |
| | | ME list no more to sing | |
| Of love, nor of such thing, | |
| How sore that it me wring; | |
| For what I sung or spake, | |
| Men did my songs mistake. | 5 |
| My songs were too diffuse; | |
| They made folk to muse; | |
| Therefore me to excuse, | |
| They shall be sung more plain, | |
| Neither of joy nor pain. | 10 |
| What vaileth then to skip | |
| At fruit over the lip . . . . . . . . | |
| For fruit withouten taste | |
| Doth nought but rot and waste. | |
| What vaileth under kay | 15 |
| To keep treasure alway, | |
| That never shall see day. | |
| If it be not used, | |
| It is but abused. | |
| What vaileth the flower | 20 |
| To stand still and wither; | |
| If no man it savour | |
| It serves only for sight, | |
| And fadeth towards night. | |
| Therefore fear not to assay | 25 |
| To gather, ye that may, | |
| The flower that this day | |
| Is fresher than the next. | |
| Mark well I say this text: | |
| Let not the fruit be lost | 30 |
| That is desired most; | |
| Delight shall quite the cost. | |
| If it be ta’en in time | |
| Small labour is to climb. | |
| And as for such treasure | 35 |
| That maketh thee the richer, | |
| And no deal the poorer | |
| When it is given or lent, | |
| Methinks it were well spent. | |
| If this be under mist, | 40 |
| And not well plainly wist, | |
| Understand me who list, | |
| For I reek not a bean; | |
| I wot what I do mean. | | | | |
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