Poems

I Loved You First: But Afterwards Your Love

Poca favilla gran fiamma seconds. —Dente
Translation: little spark great second flame.
Ogni altra cosa, ogni pensier va fore, E sol ivi con voi rimansi amore. —Petrarca
Translation: Everything else every thought goes fore and alone there with you remained love.

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I loved you first: but afterwards your love
Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song
As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove.
Which owes the other most? my love was long.
And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong:
I loved and guessed at you, you construed me
And loved me for what might or might not be —
Nay, weighs and measures do us both a wrong.
For verily love knows not 'mine' or 'thine;'
With separate 'I' and 'thou' free love has done.
For one is both and both are one in love:
Rich love knows nought of 'thine that is not mine;'
Both have the strength and both the length thereof.
Both of us, of the love which makes us one.

By: Christina Rossetti