Since you must goe, and i must bid farewell,
Heare, Mistresse, your departing servant tell
What it is like: And doe not thinke they can
Be idle words, though of a parting Man;
It is as if a night should shade noone-day,
Or that the Sun was here, but forc't away;
And we were left under that Hemisphere,
Where we must feele it Darke for halfe a yeare.
What fate is this to change mens dayes and houres,
To shift their seasons, and destroy their powers!
Alas I ha' lost my heat, my blood, my prime,
Winter is come a Quarter e're his Time,
My health will leave me; and when you depart,
How shall I doe, sweet Mistris, for my heart?
You would restore it? No, that's worth a feare,
As if it were not worthy to be there:
O, keepe it still; for it had rather be
Your sacrifice, then here remaine with me.
And so I spare it. Come what can become
Of me, I'le softly tread unto my Tombe;
Or like a Ghost walke silent amongst men,
Till I may see both it and you agen.
I am busy working to bring Ben Jonson's "Since You Must Goe" to life through some unique musical arrangements and will have a full analysis of the poem here for you later.
In the meantime, I invite you to explore the poem's themes, structure, and meaning. You can also check out the gallery for other musical arrangements or learn more about Ben Jonson's life and contributions to literature.
Check back soon to experience how "Since You Must Goe" transforms when verse meets melody—a unique journey that makes poetry accessible, engaging, and profoundly moving in new ways.