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I grant thou wert not married to my Muse,
And therefore mayst without attaint o'erlook
The dedicated words which writers use
Of their fair subject, blessing every book.
Thou art as fair in knowledge as in hue,
Finding thy worth a limit past my praise;
And therefore art enforced to seek anew
Some fresher stamp of the time-bettering days.
And do so, love; yet when they have devis'd,
What strained touches rhetoric can lend,
Thou truly fair, wert truly sympathiz'd
In true plain words, by thy true-telling friend;
And their gross painting might be better us'd
Where cheeks need blood; in thee it is abus'd.
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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 105
Non hai sposato la mia musa, questo lo ammetto e così ti è permesso di scrutare in ogni altro libro benedetto che te e la tua bellezza vuole celebrare. Pari alla tua figura è anche il tuo sapere al punto che il mio elogio sembra insufficiente e per questa ragione vai altrove a ricercare espressioni più nuove del tempo presente. Fallo pure, amor mio; ma se poi un altro ti avrà reso adorno dei più artificiosi termini che la Retorica può offrire, per la tua sincera bellezza ti piacerà fare ritorno alle più schiette parole del tuo sincero amore. Colori più vivaci saranno meglio usati per altre esangui guance: per te sono sprecati.
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Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2025-07-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 113
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