Serenade To One I Know Not Well Enough

My love, the stars are being born.
Come look, and see, and listen well.
As they glitter into their light,
Becoming pure and whitest fire,
So I become fire when at thee
I look, and see such loveliness.

No! No, do not yet speak, or guess
My purpose, lest I be forsworn.
I cannot speak when I do see
Thy lips move, for a toneless bell
It makes me, speechless with desire.
Let me but speak, and make aright

This deception as sweet as night
I have made of my tenderness.
I have played upon a fool's lyre,
Pricked myself with a rose's thorn,
Seen heaven, and then sought out hell.
I have made thee believe I see

Thee only as a friend to me.
Folly's pinnacle, temptation's height!
It is easy; I do such well.
But if thou wilt now, and wilt bless
Me, I will sound the hunting horn.
I will take my sweet goal higher,

And try to kindle matching fire
In thine eyes, in thine heart, in thee.
As the maid to the unicorn,
I will be allure and delight.
I will snare thee with every tress
Of the net I can weave so well.

My love, to nightfall say farewell!
Greet now pleasure and true love's fire,
The end of our twinned loneliness.
If thou wilt grant a chance to me,
Then even stars of purest light
Will by us seem pale and forlorn.

The morning bell has rung for me;
Now I am fire, and thou art light.
We are reborn to loveliness.