Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | Parthenophil and Parthenophe | Madrigal 16. Sleep Phbus still, in glaucy Thetis lap! | Barnabe Barnes (1569?1609) |
| SLEEP PHBUS still, in glaucy THETIS lap! | |
JOVEs eagles piercing eyes, be blind. | |
Soft things whose touch is tickle to the mind, | |
Give no like touch, all joys in one to wrap. | |
All instruments, all birds and voices | 5 |
Make no such heavenly music in their kind. | |
No fruits have such sweet sap, | |
No root such juices, | |
No balm so much rejoices. | |
O breath, exceeding every rich perfume! | 10 |
For love, all pleasures in a Kiss did lap. | |
Her eyes did give bright glances. | |
Sight is no sight, all light with that consume. | |
She touched my cheek! at which touch, mine heart dances. | |
Mine eyes, in privy combat, did presume, | 15 |
Charging my hands, to charge her middle; | |
Whilst they threw wounding darts, and healing lances. | |
She kissed and spoke, at once, a riddle, | |
But such sweet meaning in dark sense, | |
As shewed the drift of her dear sweet pretence, | 20 |
More pleasing than the chord of harp or lute. | |
On heavenly cherries then I feed, | |
Whose sap deliciouser than angels food, | |
Whose breath more sweet than gum, herb, flower, or bood. | |
O kiss! that did all sense exceed! | 25 |
No man can speak those joys! Then, Muse, be mute! | |
But say! for sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch; | |
In any one thing, was there ever such? | | | |
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