The Dolefull Lay of Clorinda (c. 1500; first five stanzas)
AY me, to whom shall I my case complaine?
That may compassion my impatient griefe?
Or where shall I unfold my inward paine,
That my enriuen heart may find reliefe?
- Shall I vnto the heauenly powres it show?
- Or unto earthly men that dwell below?
To heauens? ah they alas the authors were,
And workers of my vnremedied wo:
For they foresee what to vs happens here,
And they foresaw, yet suffred this be so.
- From them comes good, from them comes also il
- That which they made, who can them warne to spill.
To men? ah, they alas like wretched bee,
And subiect to the heauens ordinance:
Bound to abide what euer they decree,
Their best redresse, is their best sufferance.
- How then can they like wretched comfort mee,
- The which no lesse, need comforted to bee?
Then to my selfe will I my sorrow mourne,
Sith none aliue like sorrowfull remaines:
And to my selfe my plaints shall back retourne,
To pay their vsury with doubled paines.
- The woods, the hills, the riuers shall resound
- The mournfull accent of my sorrowes ground.
Woods, hills and riuers, now are desolate,
Sith he is gone the which them all did grace:
And all the fields do waile their widow state,
Sith death their fairest flowre did late deface.
- The fairest flowre in field that euer grew,
- Was Astrophel: that was, we all may rew.