Eulogy for a Prince

“Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail.” 

"As virtuous men pass mildly away,
And whisper to their souls to go,
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
"The breath goes now," and some say, "No,"

So let us melt, and make no noise,
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;
'Twere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love.

Moving of the earth brings harms and fears,
Men reckon what it did and meant;
But trepidation of the spheres,
Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers' love
(Whose soul is sense) cannot admit
Absence, because it doth remove
Those things which elemented it.

But we, by a love so much refined
That our selves know not what it is,
Inter-assured of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.

Our two souls therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion.
Like gold to airy thinness beat.

If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two:
Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if the other do;

And though it in the center sit,
Yet when the other far doth roam,
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
Like the other foot, obliquely run;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And makes me end where I begun." 

---

"As many gods tore through the path,
And sang their sorrows away,
Whilst the false idols did pray,
"The breath goes now," He said, "let go,"

So allows us to sing once again and make big noise,
Music to tear skin, fast storms that move;
'Twere high praise of our sorrow
To honor this eulogy of our Prince.

Tearing of the heart brings chaos and war,
Gods reckon what it does and means;
But to lose control of the keys,
Though greater fear, is to admit fault.

Twisted puzzled lovers' hurt
(Whose hearts are serene) can only accept
in absence, because it doth remove
The loyalties which created it.

But the gods, by a pain so much in dark
That the false idols know not what it is not,
Uninsured mind,
Forgetfulness, these hands, minds and lungs to breathe.

Our two hearts therefore, which are one,
Though He must go, endures this
Breach and revolt.
Like stolen treasure leads to a weakened beat.

If they become two, they are two so
As broken compasses are one:
The soul, the fixed lungs, make no effort
To stop, but doth, if the other do;

And though He, in the center throne sits,
Yet when the others far doth roam,
He leans, and elicits with it,
And grows prideful, as that which pains returns home.

So, wilt thou be with me, as I am with thee,
Like two hearts in one, straightly beat;
Thy strength makes my kingdom run,
And makes me perish with you,
that is where I belong."

"Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken."