Sonnet 41

Those petty wrongs that liberty commits,

When I am sometime absent from thy heart,

Thy beauty and thy years full well befits,

For still temptation follows where thou art.

Gentle thou art, and therefore to be won;

Beauteous thou art, therefore to be assailed.

And when a woman woos, what woman’s son

Will sourly leave her till she have prevailed?

Ay me, but yet thou might’st my seat forbear,

And chide thy beauty and thy straying youth,

Who lead thee in their riot even there

Where thou art forced to break a twofold truth:

Hers, by thy beauty tempting her to thee;

Thine, by thy beauty being false to me.

When you softly trespass on my love,

When I escape your thoughts,

It’s not a surprise, early as you live,

Your youth attracting many hearts.

Tender, supple as you are,

You’re fought for, even harassed,

And when someone wants, hungry as you are,

How could you forego a taste?

And yet, if you would have mercy on me,

Consider my soul, walk in my shoes,

That might open up your eyes to see

It’s not me but two others you misuse:

The ones you lead on, tempting them to trust,

And yourself, in betraying, which I forgive as lust.