Sweet life, if life were stronger,
Earth clear of years that wrong her,
Then two things might live longer,
⁠Two sweeter things than they;
Delight, the rootless flower,
And love, the bloomless bower;
Delight that lives an hour,
⁠And love that lives a day.

From evensong to daytime,
When April melts in Maytime,
Love lengthens out his playtime,
⁠Love lessens breath by breath,
And kiss by kiss grows older
On listless throat or shoulder
Turned sideways now, turned colder
⁠Than life that dreams of death.

This one thing once worth giving
Life gave, and seemed worth living;