On the Death of Sir Philip Sidney

By Henry Constable

1562?-1613?

GIVE pardon, blessed soul, to my bold cries,
If they, importune, interrupt thy song,
Which now with joyful notes thou sing'st among
The angel-quiristers of th' heavenly skies.
Give pardon eke, sweet soul, to my slow eyes,
That since I saw thee now it is so long,
And yet the tears that unto thee belong
To thee as yet they did not sacrifice.
I did not know that thou wert dead before;
I did not feel the grief I did sustain;
The greater stroke astonisheth the more;
Astonishment takes from us sense of pain;
         I stood amazed when others' tears begun,
         And now begin to weep when they have done.

DayPoems Poem No. 112
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/112.html">On the Death of Sir Philip Sidney by Henry Constable</a>

The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor

Poets  Poems