Elizabeth Barrett Browning - A Woman's Shortcoming lyrics

She has laughed as softly as if she sighed
She has counted six, and over
Of a purse well filled
And a heart well tried -
Oh, each a worthy lover!
They "give her time" for her soul must slip
Where the world has set the grooving
She will lie to none with her fair red lip:
But love seeks truer loving

She trembles her fan in a sweetness dumb
As her thoughts were beyond recalling
With a glance for one, and a glance for some
From her eyelids rising and falling
Speaks common words with a blushful air
Hears bold words, unreproving
But her silence says - what
She never will swear -
And love seeks better loving

Go, lady! lean to the night-guitar
And drop a smile to the bringer
Then smile as sweetly, when he is far
At the voice of an in door singer
Bask tenderly beneath tender eyes
Glance lightly, on their removing
And join new vows to old perjuries -

But dare not call it loving!
Unless you can think, when the song is done
No other is soft in the rhythm
Unless you can feel, when left by One
That all men else go with him
Unless you can know, when
Unpraised by his breath
That your beauty it'self wants proving
Unless you can swear "For life, for death!" -
Oh, fear to call it loving!

Unless you can muse in a crowd all day
On the absent face that fixed you
Unless you can love, as the angels may
With the breadth of heaven betwixt you
Unless you can dream that his faith is fast
Through behoving and unbehoving
Unless you can die when the dream is past -
Oh, never call it loving!