To Lesbia

Beloved, let us live and love, nor pay

One penny fee for what grave old folks say.

The suns go down and other suns will rise;

For us when once our transient day's light dies

Is one eternal night to sleep. Wherefore

Give me a thousand kisses and again

A hundred, and another thousand yet,

And still a hundred and a thousand more,

Till they be grown to many thousands. Then

Let us lose count of them and quite forget;

Lest some base soul should envy us that wist

The number of the kisses we had kissed.