Sonnet 40

by William Shakespeare · (no date)
Published 01/07/1880

Take all my loves, my love, yea, take them all;

What hast thou then more than thou hadst before?

No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call;

All mine was thine before thou hadst this more.

Then, if for my love thou my love receivest,

I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest;

But yet be blam'd, if thou thyself deceivest

By wilful taste of what thyself refusest.

I do forgive thy robbery, gentle thief,

Although thou steal thee all my poverty;

And yet, love knows it is a greater grief

To bear love's wrong than hate's known injury.

      Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,

      Kill me with spites; yet we must not be foes.

#betrayal #forgiveness #heartbreak #love #romantic disillusion #william shakespeare

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