13/XIII "O that you were yourself"

O that you were yourself, but, love, you are
No longer yours; then you yourself here live.
Against this coming end you should prepare,
And your sweet semblance to some other give.
So should that which you hold in lease
Find no determination; then you were
Yourself again after your self's decease,
When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.
Who lets so fair a house fall to decay,
Which husbandry in honor might uphold,
Against the stormy gusts of winter's day
And barren rage of death's eternal cold?
O none but unthrifts--dear, my love, you know.
You had a father; let your son say so.


Quatrain 1

1 O that / you were / yourself, // but, love, / you are >
2 No lon/ger yours; // then you / yourself / here live.
3 Against / this co/ming end / you should / prepare,
4 And your / sweet sem/blance to / some o/ther give.


Quatrain 2

5 So should / that which / you hold / in lease >
6 Find no / deter/mina/tion; // then / you were >
7 Yourself / again // after / your self's / decease,
8 When your / sweet is/sue your / sweet form / should bear.


Quatrain 3

9 Who lets / so fair / a house / fall to / decay,
10 Which hus/bandry / in ho/nor might / uphold,
11 Against / the stor/my gusts / of win/ter's day >
12 And bar/ren rage / of death's / eter/nal cold?


Couplet

13 O none / but un/ thrifts--//dear, / my love, / you know.
14 You had / a fa/ther; // let / your son / say so.