[BNP/E3, 78B – 37]

Winter Day

Say me ye will: Although thy youth be cheerless,

Yet be thou in this comforted and fearless –

That to thy unhappy[1] youth there may succeed

A happy later life, so that indeed

By the comparison with when ‘twas not

Thy happiness will greater be

Idle sophism, unst’able and unkind

I know too well how this is with mankind[2];

Too well I know: that when happiness doth fade

In youth, ‘tis useless – it is indeed dead.

To be happy in youth and after sad

Is possible, and otherwise also {…}

But when in youth {…} mad

 ‘Tis an unhappiness that cannot go

But that time will deepen. Say no mo.

[1] That to thy unhappy ^{/cheerless\ /To thy hopeless\}

[2] this ^/all\ is with mankind ^{/is in the mind\}