Shake-speares Sonnets, Never before Imprinted/Sonnet 99
For other versions of this work, see Sonnet 99 (Shakespeare).
99The forward violet thus did I chide,Sweet theefe whence didst thou steale thy sweet that smelsIf not from my loues breath, the purple pride,Which on thy soft cheeke for complexion dwells?In my loues veines thou hast too grosely died,The Lillie I condemned for thy hand,And buds of marierom had stolne thy haire,The Roses fearefully on thornes did stand,Our blushing shame, an other white dispaire:A third nor red, nor white, had stolne of both,And to his robbry had annext thy breath,But for his theft in pride of all his growthA vengfull canker eate him vp to death.More flowers I noted, yet I none could see,But sweet, or culler it had stolne from thee.