by John Donne (1572 - 1631)
So, so break off this last lamenting...
Language: English
So, so [break]1 off this [last]2 lamenting kiss Which sucks two souls, and vapours both away; Turn, thou ghost, that way, and let me turn this, And let ourselves benight our [happiest]3 day, We ask none leave to love, nor will we owe Any so cheap a death as saying "Go." Go; and if that word have not quite killed thee, Ease me with death by bidding me [to]4 ge too. Or, if it have, let my word work on me, And a just office on a murderer do. Except it be too late, to kill me so, Being double dead, going, and bidding, "Go."
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Ferrabosco: "leave"
2 omitted by Ferrabosco.
3 Ferrabosco: "happy"
4 added by Ferrabosco.
Authorship:
- by John Donne (1572 - 1631), "The expiration" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Alfonso Ferrabosco (c1575 - 1628), "So, so leave off this lamenting kisse", from Ayres 1609 [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-07-06
Line count: 12
Word count: 105