eyes, they met and we a moment shar’d,
wherein my silent want was well convey’d.
Before we met, I had no yearnings borne
for fairytale romance or courtship’s glee,
but O! the summer breeze! thy breeches torn!
I have no doubt thou art my destiny!
Though we’ve each other only moments known,
my heart doth fling fair Logic now away!
I beg thee, take my favour for thine own –
perchance to call upon me soon, I pray!
For long before we had a chance to start,
thy absence left an aching in my heart.
Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Call Me Maybe’
Thou art a flame that burns within my breast,
the singular desire within my heart.
Believe my wish, most solemnly profess’d,
that we should ne’er again be made apart.
Yet we are twain; it seems thou’rt worlds away –
I cannot reach thee with my outstretch’d hand
to soothe thy aching soul if thou shouldst say
thy heart had other circumstances plann’d.
Pray speak of why our love such torment holds,
and prithee say why this must folly be!
No, tell me not; I fear what might unfold
if our two fondest hopes should not agree.
I cannot hold my passion long at bay
for I do want love fashion’d strong that way.
Backstreet Boys, ‘I Want It That Way’
Thy confidence in Nature’s gifts is strain’d;
I know not why, for thine’s a pleasing face.
Pray witness all the staring unconstrain’d
by those who mark thine entrance to a place.
Thy naked face is beauty unsurpass’d;
thy countenance is not by rouge improv’d.
Like Helen’s, it could launch a navy vast,
yet thy reflection leaves thee still unmov’d.
My life, once dark, is bathed in brilliant light
for thou hast graced it with thy presence sweet;
yet thou’lt not see the passion thou’st ignite
when thou hast fix’d thy gaze upon thy feet.
Thy charms are temper’d with humility,
and make thee still more beautiful to me.
One Direction, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’
Each night I close my eyes to sleep, assured
that in my dreams I’ll see once more thy face;
and thus I know thy soul hath still endured
beyond this world’s ephemeral embrace.
I know not if thy soul stays at my side
or if it every night from Heaven leaves.
No matter where it lives, thy love abides
within me, and again there life achieves.
Thy presence hath my courage wholly steel’d;
thy spirit’s overtaken all my fears.
To Father Time our love will never yield;
it shall remain unshaken o’er the years.
Although thy image fades at th’ break of dawn,
my heart, with thee inside, will e’er go on.
Celine Dion, ‘My Heart Will Go On’
An action imperceptible to most
doth rend my heart when thou dost it perform;
while I am pain’d to look, I’m still engross’d –
and while my heart is broken, so it’s warm’d.
Thou knowèst not the suff’ring I’ve endured,
the fruitless struggle to forget thy face –
but I shall e’er remember, I’m assured,
so long as thou repeat’st that tiny grace.
If I cannot escape thy minute charms,
I’ll win thy love and bring thee endless bliss;
I long to hold thee tightly in my arms
and bring thee happiness with ev’ry kiss.
The love I hold for thee shall ne’er be lost
so long as thou shalt do that thing thou dost.
The Wonders, ‘That Thing You Do!’
My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the stars;
they’ve brighter shine than all those overhead.
Her hair’s cascade her visage never mars
but effortlessly frames her face instead.
And yet, if I should tell her what I see –
that she hath been by Aphrodite bless’d –
she’d quietly demur and disagree
and I shall with these words sincere protest:
‘When I observe thy countenance’s grace,
I see no fault – no flaw one might repair;
and when a smile doth blossom ’cross thy face,
the world takes heed and stops to fondly stare.
No words could e’er sufficiently impart
all thy perfection, just the way thou art.’
Bruno Mars, ‘Just the Way You Are’
I feel I’ve been for ages long interr’d,
companionless a hundred years or more;
and though thy sly advances interest stirr’d,
that dost not my return’d desire ensure.
I shan’t engage thy passions straight away,
although my body yearns for thine embrace;
my heart hath temper’d its impulsive ways
and settled me to take a slower pace.
I’ll grant thy wish, if thou dost demonstrate
thy valour and make thy impression well.
I may thy hungers prurient well-sate
if in reciprocation thou’st