Shall I, wasting in despair, <br />Die, because a woman's fair? <br />Or make pale my cheeks with care <br />'Cause another's rosy are? <br />Be she fairer than the day, <br />Or the flow'ry meads in May; <br />If she be not so to me, <br />What care I how fair she be. <br /> <br />Should my heart be grieved or pined <br />'Cause I see a woman kind? <br />Or a well-disposèd nature <br />Joinèd with a lovely creature? <br />Be she meeker, kinder than <br />Turtle-dove or pelican: <br />If she be not so to me, <br />What care I how kind she be. <br /> <br />Shall a woman's virtues move <br />Me to perish for her love? <br />Or, her well-deserving known, <br />Make me quite forget mine own? <br />Be she with that goodness blest <br />Which may gain her name of best <br />If she be not such to me, <br />What care I how good she be. <br /> <br />'Cause her fortune seems too high, <br />Shall I play the fool and die? <br />Those that bear a noble mind, <br />Where they want or riches find, <br />Think what with them they would do <br />That without them dare to woo. <br />And unless that mind I see, <br />What care I though great she be. <br /> <br />Great, or good, or kind, or fair, <br />I will ne'er the more despair; <br />If she love me, this believe, <br />I will die ere she shall grieve. <br />If she slight me, when I woo, <br />I can scorn, and let her go. <br />For, if she be not for me, <br />What care I for whom she be.<br /><br />George Wither<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/song-ii-6/
