| Herbert J.C. Grierson, ed. (1886–1960). Metaphysical Lyrics & Poems of the 17th C. 1921. |
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| John Donne |
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| 9. The Dreame |
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| DEARE love, for nothing lesse then thee | |
| Would I have broke this happy dreame, | |
| It was a theame | |
| For reason, much too strong for phantasie, | |
| Therefore thou wakd'st me wisely; yet | 5 |
| My Dreame thou brok'st not, but continued'st it, | |
| Thou art so truth, that thoughts of thee suffice, | |
| To make dreames truths; and fables histories; | |
| Enter these armes, for since thou thoughtst it best, | |
| Not to dreame all my dreame, let's act the rest. | 10 |
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| As lightning, or a Tapers light, | |
| Thine eyes, and not thy noise wak'd mee; | |
| Yet I thought thee | |
| (For thou lovest truth) an Angell, at first sight, | |
| But when I saw thou sawest my heart, | 15 |
| And knew'st my thoughts, beyond an Angels art, | |
| When thou knew'st what I dreamt, when thou knew'st when | |
| Excesse of joy would wake me, and cam'st then, | |
| I must confesse, it could not chuse but bee | |
| Prophane, to thinke thee any thing but thee. | 20 |
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| Comming and staying show'd thee, thee, | |
| But rising makes me doubt, that now, | |
| Thou art not thou. | |
| That love is weake, where feare's as strong as hee; | |
| 'Tis not all spirit, pure, and brave, | 25 |
| If mixture it of Feare, Shame, Honor, have. | |
| Perchance as torches which must ready bee, | |
| Men light and put out, so thou deal'st with mee, | |
| Thou cam'st to kindle, goest to come; Then I | |
| Will dreame that hope againe, but else would die. | 30 |
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