by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
To M‑‑‑‑
Language: English
Oh! did those eyes, instead of fire, With bright, but mild affection shine: Though they might kindle less desire, Love, more than mortal, would be thine. For thou art form'd so heavenly fair, Howe'er those orbs may wildly beam, We must admire, but still despair; That fatal glance forbids esteem. When Nature stamp'd thy beauteous birth, So much perfection in thee shone, She fear'd that, too divine for earth, The skies might claim thee for their own. Therefore, to guard her dearest work, Lest angels might dispute the prize, She bade a secret lightning lurk, Within those once celestial eyes. These might the boldest Sylph appall, When gleaming with meridian blaze; Thy beauty must enrapture all; But who can dare thine ardent gaze? 'Tis said that Berenice's hair, In stars adorns the vault of heaven; But they would ne'er permit thee there, Thou wouldst so far outshine the seven. For did those eyes as planets roll, Thy sister-lights would scarce appear: E'en suns, which systems now controul, Would twinkle dimly through their sphere.
Confirmed with The Works of Lord Byron, Volume 1 — Poetry, ed. by Ernest Hartley Coleridge, London : John Murray, 1903, pages 68-69. In this edition, there is a footnote at the end of the last line that brings us to a quote from Shakespeare:
"Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do intreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return."
Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "To M----", written 1806 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Nikolay Vasilyevich Gerbel (1827 - 1883) ; composed by Vojtěch Hlaváč, as Войтех Иванович Главач.
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2021-05-26
Line count: 28
Word count: 181