William Shakespeare
1564-1616
Sonnet CXLII
Love is my
sin, and thy dear virtue hate,
Hate of my sin, grounded
on sinful loving:
O! but with mine compare
thou thine own state,
And thou shalt find
it merits not reproving;
Or, if it do, not
from those lips of thine,
That have profan'd
their scarlet ornaments
And seal'd false bonds
of love as oft as mine,
Robb'd others' beds'
revenues of their rents.
Be it lawful I love
thee, as thou lov'st those
Whom thine eyes woo
as mine importune thee:
Root pity in thy heart,
that, when it grows,
Thy pity may deserve
to pitied be.
If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide,
By self-example mayst thou be denied!
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