Poem by Edmund Spenser

Amoretti 47. Trust not the treason of those smyling lookes

Trust not the treason of those smyling lookes,
Untill ye have their guylefull traynes well tryde;
For they are lyke but unto golden hookes,
That from the foolish fish theyr bayts do hyde:
So she with flattring smyles weake harts doth guyde
Unto her love, and tempte to theyr decay;
Whome, being caught, she kills with cruell pryde,
And feeds at pleasure on the wretched pray.
Yet even whylst her bloody hands them slay,
Her eyes looke lovely, and upon them smyle,
That they take pleasure in their cruell play,
And, dying, doe themselves of payne beguyle.
  O mighty charm! which makes men love theyr bane,
  And thinck they dy with pleasure, live with payne. 

1. Amoretti 46. When my abodes prefixed time is spent
2. Amoretti 63. After long stormes and tempests sad assay
3. Amoretti 43. Shall I then silent be, or shall I speake?
4. Amoretti 59. Thrise happie she that is so well assured
5. Amoretti 49. Fayre Cruell! why are ye so fierce and cruell?

Print

1671 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version