Lord Byron - The Works of Lord Byron, Vol. 1 (To The Sighing Strephon) lyrics

To The Sighing Strephon [1] 1. Your pardon, my friend, If my rhymes did offend, Your pardon, a thousand times o'er; From friendship I strove, Your pangs to remove, But, I swear, I will do so no more. 2. Since your beautiful maid, Your flame has repaid, No more I your folly regret; She's now most divine, And I bow at the shrine, Of this quickly reformèd coquette. 3. Yet still, I must own, [i] I should never have known, From your verses, what else she deserv'd; Your pain seem'd so great, I pitied your fate, As your fair was so dev'lish reserv'd. 4. Since the balm-breathing kiss [ii] Of this magical Miss, Can such wonderful transports produce; [iii] Since the "world you forget, When your lips once have met," My counsel will get but abuse. 5. You say, "When I rove," "I know nothing of love;" Tis true, I am given to range; If I rightly remember, I've lov'd a good number; [iv] Yet there's pleasure, at least, in a change. 6. I will not advance, [v] By the rules of romance, To humour a whimsical fair; Though a smile may delight, Yet a frown will affright, [vi] Or drive me to dreadful despair. 7. While my blood is thus warm, I ne'er shall reform, To mix in the Platonists' school; Of this I am sure, Was my Pa**ion so pure, Thy Mistress would think me a fool. [vii] 8 [viii] And if I should shun, Every woman for one, Whose image must fill my whole breast; Whom I must prefer, And sigh but for her, What an insult 'twould be to the rest! 9. Now Strephon, good-bye; I cannot deny, Your pa**ion appears most absurd; Such love as you plead, Is pure love, indeed, For it only consists in the word. [Footnote 1: The letters "J. M. B. P." are added, in a lady's hand, in the annotated copy of 'P. on V. Occasions', p. 17 (British Museum).] [Footnote i: 'But still'. [4to]] [Footnote ii: 'But since the chaste kiss.' [4to]] [Footnote iii: 'Such wonderful.' [4to]] [Footnote iv: 'I've kiss'd a good number. But——-' [4to]] [Footnote v: 'I ne'er will advance.' [4to]] [Footnote vi: 'Yet a frown won't affright.' [4to. 'P. on V. Occasions.']] [Footnote vii: 'My mistress must think me.' [4to. 'P. on V. Occasions.']] [Footnote viii: 'Though the kisses are sweet, Which voluptuously meet, Of kissing I ne'er was so fond, As to make me forget, Though our lips oft have met, That still there was something beyond.' [4to]