When we two Parted

George Gordon Byron

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this!


The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow--
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame:
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.


They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o’er me--
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee
Who knew thee too well:
long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.


In secret we met--
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After living year,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.


They parted in the cold rain,
tears sluicing down,
flanking their cheeks.
She told a lie,
He took it for real--
it took all the anguish to get over,
all the sufferings to,
retrieve the old love.
He hurled her love away,
discarding it as if--
he didn't mind it anymore.


Yet he was betraying his heart.
So did she.
The stalemate stood,
unbroken,
until the muse blew upon them,
Inspiration, and,
Courage,
that they faced the truth,
that the knot was unknotted.