William Shakespeare. 1564–1616

Sonnet CXLII.

“Love is my sin, and thy dear virtue hate”


LOVE is my sin, and thy dear virtue hate  
Hate of my sin, grounded on sinful loving:  
O! but with mine compare thou thine own state,  
And thou shalt find it merits not reproving;  
Or, if it do, not from those lips of thine,    5
That have profan’d their scarlet ornaments  
And seal’d false bonds of love as oft as mine,  
Robb’d others’ beds’ revenues of their rents.  
Be it lawful I love thee, as thou lov’st those  
Whom thine eyes woo as mine importune thee:   10
Root pity in thy heart, that when it grows,  
Thy pity may deserve to pitied be.  
  If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide,  
  By self-example mayst thou be denied!