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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  391. Love will find out the Way

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Anonymous. 17th Cent.

391. Love will find out the Way

OVER the mountains 
  And over the waves, 
Under the fountains 
  And under the graves; 
Under floods that are deepest,         5
  Which Neptune obey, 
Over rocks that are steepest, 
  Love will find out the way. 
 
When there is no place 
  For the glow-worm to lie,  10
When there is no space 
  For receipt of a fly; 
When the midge dares not venture 
  Lest herself fast she lay, 
If Love come, he will enter  15
  And will find out the way. 
 
You may esteem him 
  A child for his might; 
Or you may deem him 
  A coward for his flight;  20
But if she whom Love doth honour 
  Be conceal’d from the day— 
Set a thousand guards upon her, 
  Love will find out the way. 
 
Some think to lose him  25
  By having him confined; 
And some do suppose him, 
  Poor heart! to be blind; 
But if ne’er so close ye wall him, 
  Do the best that ye may,  30
Blind Love, if so ye call him, 
  He will find out his way. 
 
You may train the eagle 
  To stoop to your fist; 
Or you may inveigle  35
  The Phoenix of the east; 
The lioness, you may move her 
  To give over her prey; 
But you’ll ne’er stop a lover— 
  He will find out the way.  40
 
If the earth it should part him, 
  He would gallop it o’er; 
If the seas should o’erthwart him, 
  He would swim to the shore; 
Should his Love become a swallow,  45
  Through the air to stray, 
Love will lend wings to follow, 
  And will find out the way. 
 
There is no striving 
  To cross his intent;  50
There is no contriving 
  His plots to prevent; 
But if once the message greet him 
  That his True Love doth stay, 
If Death should come and meet him,  55
  Love will find out the way!