The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley (ed. Hutchinson, 1914)/Good-night

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

For works with similar titles, see Good-Night.

GOOD-NIGHT

[Published by Leigh Hunt over the signature Σ, The Literary Pocket-Book, 1822. It is included in the Harvard MS. book, and there is a transcript by Shelley in a copy of The Literary Pocket-Book, 1819, presented by him to Miss Sophia Stacey, Dec. 29, 1820. (See Love's Philosophy and Time Long Past.) Our text is that of the editio princeps, 1822, with which the Harvard MS. and P. P., 1824, agree. The variants of the Stacey MS., 1820, are given in the footnotes.]

I
Good-night? ah! no; the hour is ill^[1]
Which severs those it should unite;
Let us remain together still,
Then it will be good night.

II
How can I call the lone night good,^[2] 5
Though thy sweet wishes wing its flight?
Be it not said, thought, understood—
Then it will be—good night.

III
To hearts which near each other move^[3]
From evening close to morning light, 10
The night is good; because, my love,^[4]
They never say good-night.^[5]

 

1. 1 Good-night? no, love! the night is ill Stacey MS.
2. Good-night—5 How were the night without thee good Stacey MS.
3. 9 The hearts that on each other beat Stacey MS.
4. 11 Have nights as good as they are sweet Stacey MS.
5. 12 But never say good night Stacey MS.