Secretos

Lope de Vega
A secret most secret

Oh such a secret, ladies, oh gallants,
Such a secret of love! Oh! Such a secret!
Such illustrious conception! Such subtle conceit!
By God, ‘tis a page out of me fecit Ioannes!

Now may all prudishness and gesticulation cease,
all interest, all jealous effect;
from this day forward, Love will be firm and perfect,
no more gazing at gardens, or climbing up garrets.

This is no philosophical fatigue,
No subtle transmutation nor vain alchemy,
But essence true, that must be touched.

It goes in secret, and yet is plain to see.
What would you, good reader, have me say:
Well then, go with God until tomorrow.

And now, so that you
leave my house in secrecy,
from the garden you may flee
through that phony door…

Much I have said and now I stop,
that to read this paper
is what I want you to do more,
so I can force you again…
…to pass the secret
from lips to chest;
‘cause from mouth to ear
in danger a secret can be.