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Apologies to Robert Herrick
Gather ye virgins while you may,
Old time is still a-flying
And this same man that similes today,
Hopes tonight to be dying.
The glorious enducer drink, and thane eyes,
Tomorrow I'll be forgetting
The sooner I can sever these ties,
The quicker another I'll be a-getting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and lust are warmer;
Getting uglier, that is worse, and worst,
With less luck than the former
Then be not coy, and use this time,
And while ye may, go be fruitful,
For having lost but once your prime,
Then only marriage, becomes dutiful.
The Original
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that similes to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.
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