by Edmund Spenser (1552 - 1599)
Sonnet XXXVII
Language: English
What guile is this, that those her golden tresses She doth attire under a net of gold; And with sly skill so cunningly them dresses, That which is gold, or hair, may scarce be told? Is it that men’s frail eyes, which gaze too bold, She may entangle in that golden snare; And, being caught, may craftily enfold Their weaker hearts, which are not well aware? Take heed, therefore, mine eyes, how ye do stare Henceforth too rashly on that guileful net, In which, if ever ye entrapped are, Out of her bands ye by no means shall get. Fondness it were for any, being free, To covet fetters, though they golden be!
Authorship:
- by Edmund Spenser (1552 - 1599), "Sonnet XXXVII", appears in Amoretti and Epithalamion [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 Edmund Duncan Rubbra (1901 - 1986), "Sonnet XXXVII", op. 43 no. 4 (1935), published 1942 [ tenor and string quartet ], from Amoretti: Five Sonnets (Second Series), no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2022-01-31
Line count: 14
Word count: 113