O Mors! quam amara est
memoria tua homini pacem
habenti in substantiis suis
 
Exceeding sorrow
   Consumeth my sad heart!
Because to-morrow
   We must depart,
Now is exceeding sorrow
   All my part!
 
Give over playing,
   Cast thy viol away:
Merely laying
   Thine head my way:
Prithee, give over playing,
   Grave or gay.
 
Be no word spoken;
   Weep nothing: let a pale
Silence, unbroken
   Silence prevail!
Prithee, be no word spoken,
   Lest I fail!
 
Forget to-morrow!
   Weep nothing: only lay
In silent sorrow
   Thine head my way:
Let us forget to-morrow,
   This one day!


Webpage © 2002 ELC
Lane Core Jr. (lane@elcore.net)
http://poetry.elcore.net/CatholicPoets/Dowson/Dowson20.html
Created November 12, 2002; not revised.