In this love song, a speaker confesses to his “faithful Fair” Nancy that he belongs to her completely—every pulse and wandering thought. He pictures his heart resting on her breast, where it would beat and yearn, and even if despair had crushed it, that resting place would heal all pain. Then a shift: he asks her to hide her lips and turn away her loving eyes, or else he might die from sheer delight. The final lines compare a life without love to a night that never sees morning, while love itself is a bright, cloudless summer sun that makes the whole world beautiful. The mood is tender and urgent at once, mixing the comfort of absolute devotion with a playful, almost painful awareness of how overwhelming desire can feel. It’s a vivid, intimate portrait of love as both balm and bliss.
437. Song—Thine am I, my faithful Fair — Summary
THINE am I, my faithful Fair, Thine, my lovely Nancy; Ev’ry pulse along my veins, Ev’ry roving fancy. To thy bosom lay my heart, There to throb and languish; Tho’ despair had wrung its core, That would heal its anguish.
Take away those rosy lips, Rich with balmy treasure; Turn away thine eyes of love, Lest I die with pleasure! What is life when wanting Love? Night without a morning: Love’s the cloudless summer sun, Nature gay adorning.