To Celia by Ben Jonson

Drink to me only with thine eyes,
     And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss within the cup,
     And I’ll not ask for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise
     Doth ask a drink divine;
But might I of Jove’s nectar sup,
     I would not change for thine.

I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honoring thee
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not withered be.
But thou thereon didst only breathe,
And sent’st it back to me;
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself, but thee.

5 responses to “To Celia by Ben Jonson

  1. One of the greatest poems. Ben Jonson was called. The father of the ancient poets.

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