'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be?
O wilt thou therefore rise from me?
Why should we rise, because 'tis light?
Did we lie down, because 'twas night?
Love which in spite of darkness brought us hither
Should in despite of light keep us together.
Light hath no tongue, but is all eye;
If it could speak as well as spy,
This were the worst that it could say -
That being well, I fain would stay,
And that I loved my heart and honour so,
That I would not from her, that had them, go.
Must business thee from hence remove?
Oh, that's the worst disease of love!
The poor, the foul, the false, love can
Admit, but not the busied man.
He which hath business, and makes love, doth do
Such wrong as when a married man doth woo.
Back to John Donne
Get a free collection of Classic Poetry ↓
To be able to leave a comment here you must be registered. Log in or Sign up.
Comments1I remember stumbling upon this piece in my younger days. The lines "Love which in spite of darkness brought us hither, Should in despite of light keep us together." really stuck with me. It's a beautifully poignant way of expressing love's resilience. Could it mean that true love transcends time, or even the natural progression of day and night? I find the reference to a 'busied man' intriguing too, what could that signify in this context?