Quatrain 70
Quatrain 70 of 75
“Ah, Moon of my Delight who know'st no wane,
The Moon of Heav'n is rising once again:
How oft hereafter rising shall she look
Through this same Garden after me—in vain!”
Reflection · Winter
Ah, Moon of my Delight who know'st no wane — this is winter's love verse, the one written in the cold knowledge that the beloved who knows no waning has actually been waning all this time, as all mortal things wane. The Moon of Heav'n is rising once again — in winter it rises early and sets late. How oft hereafter rising shall she look through this same garden after me — in vain.
In vain: the moon will rise and the garden will be there and the roses will open in spring, and you will not be there to see it. Winter, more than any other season, makes this future feel near.