John Dryden (1631–1700). The Poems of John Dryden. 1913.
Songs from the Plays“Can Life be a Blessing,” from Troilus and Cressida
Or worth the possessing,
Can Life be a blessing if Love were away?
Ah no! though our Love all Night keep us waking,
And though he torment us with Cares all the Day,
Yet he sweetens he sweetens our Pains in the taking,
There’s an Hour at the last, there’s an Hour to repay.
In ev’ry possessing,
The ravishing Blessing,
In ev’ry possessing the Fruit of our Pain,
Poor Lovers forget long Ages of Anguish,
What e’re they have suffer’d and done to obtain;
’Tis a Pleasure, a Pleasure to sigh and to languish,
When we hope, when we hope to be happy again.