Very short love poems engraved on vintage wedding rings - tokens of devotion and promise
These very short love poems and rhymed inscriptions can be found engraved on antique posy rings (also 'posie' or 'posey rings'). They repesent deep intimate feelings of people who have long since perished. Such rings were given on various occasions, but as one can clearly see, mostly as tokens of engagement or as wedding rings. Not many of them can be considered true gems of English literature, but the power of these short love poems (if any) is in their romantic sincerity and old time charm. Their brevity is naturally dictated by the limitations of space - only one or two phrases used to fit on a ring (today's engraving machines can do much better than that!). Modern day Valentines are obviously influenced by this genre, but some of these rhymed lines have apparently gone unnoticed for centuries. This collection is fairly unique, although not complete.
A - F | G - L | M - S | T - V
A - F
A CONSTANT HEART
WITHIN A WOMAN'S BREST
IS OPHIRE GOLD
WITHIN AN IVORY CHEST
A FRIEND INDEED IN TYME OF NEED
A FRIEND TO ONE AS LIKE TO NONE
A FRIEND TO THEE I'LL EVER BE
A HAPPY BREST WHERE LOVE DOTH REST
A HEART CONTENT CANNOT REPENT
A HEART UNITED TRUE CONTENTED
A KISS FOR THIS
A LOVEING WIFE A HAPPY LIFE
A LOVING WIFE PROLONGETH LIFE
A MAIDEN VERTUOUS CHASTE AND FAIR
IS A JEWEL PAST COMPARE
AND SUCH ARE YOU IN WHOM I FIND
VERTUE IS WITH BEAUTY JOYN'D
A TOKEN SENT WITH TRUE INTENT
A VIRTUOUS WIFE A HAPPY LIFE
A VIRTUOUS WIFE DOTH BANISH STRIFE
A WOMAN KIND ALL JOY OF MIND
ACCEPT OF THIS MY HEART WITHALL
MY LOVE IS GREAT THOUGH THIS BE SMALL
AFTER CONSENT EUER CONTENT
ALL I REFUSE BUT THEE I CHUSE
AL MYNE SHAL BE THYNE
ALL PERFECT LOVE
IS FROM ABOVE
THE SIGHT OF THIS
DESERVES A KISSE
ALL THINE IS MINE
AND AS THIS ROUND
IS NOWHERE FOUND
TO FLAW OR ELSE TO SEVER
SO MAY OUR LOVE
AS ENDLESS PROVE
AS PURE AS GOLD FOR EVER
AS GOD HATH KNIT OUR
HEARTS IN ONE
LET NOTHING PART BUT DEATH
ALONE
AS GOD HATH MADE MY
CHOYCE IN THEE
SO MOVE THY HEART TO
COMFORT ME
AS GOD SAW FITT OUR KNOTT IS KNITT
AS GOLD IS PURE LET LOVE INDURE
AS GOLD IS PURE SO LOVE IS SHURE
AS HEAVEN OUR LOVE DECREED
IN HEAVENLY LOVE LET US PROCEED
AS I EXPECT SO LET ME FIND
A FAITHFULL HEART A CONSTANT MIND
AS I IN THEE HAVE MADE MY CHOYCE
SO IN THE LORD LET US REJOYCE
AS LONG AS LIFE Yr LOVING WIFE
AS LOVE HATH JOYNED OUR
HARTS TOGETHER
SO NONE BUT DEATH OUR
HARTS SHALL SEVER
AS TRUE TO LOVE AS TURTLE DOVE
AS TRUE TO THEE AS THOU TO ME
AS TRUST BEE JUST
AS YOU FINDE ME MINDE ME
AS YOU NOW FIND SO JUDGE ME KIND
BE CONSTANT YOU FOR I AM TREW
BE CONSTANT U AS I AM TRUE
BE IT MY FORTUNE OR MY FAULT
LOVE MAKES ME VENTURE THIS ASSAULT
BE KINDE IN HARTE
BE KIND TO ME I WILL TO THE
BE THOU MINE
AS I AM THINE
BE TRUE AS FAIR THEN PAST COMPARE
BE TRUE TO ME AS I TO THEE
BE TRUE TO ME Yt GIVES IT THEE
BE TRULY WISE LEST DEATH SURPRISE
BEHOLD THE ENDE
RATHER DEATH THEN FALS FAITH
BEYOND THIS LIFE LOVE ME DEARE WIFE
BODY AND MINDE IN THEE I FINDE
BOTH MUST BE ONE OR ONE BE NONE
BOTH OR NEITHER CHUSE YOU WHETHER
BRACELETS I'LE GIVE
EMBRACE LETS EVER
LET PARTLETS GO
FOR PART LETS NEVER
BREAKE NOT THY VOW TO PLEASE THE EYE
BUT KEEPE THY LOVE SO LIVE AND DYE
BY CUPID'S BOW MY WEAL OR WOE
BY GOD'S DIRECTION WE JOYN AFFECTION
BY THIS I PROVE HOW MUCH I LOVE
BY THIS RING OF GOLD
TAKE ME TO HAVE AND HOLD
CAREFUL I'LE BE TO COMFORT THEE
COME MY LOVE IF LOVE YOU GRANT
WHAT IS IT THAT LOVE CAN WANT
IN THEE I HAVE SUFFICIENT STORE
GRANT ME THY LOVE I WISH NO MORE
CONSTANT AND TRUE I'LL BE TO YOU
CONSTANT TRUE LOVE COMES FROM ABOVE
CONSTANT YOU FOR I AM TRUE
CONTENT INDEED DOTH GOLD EXCEED
CONTENTED WITH MY CHOICE
DEAR LOVE OF MINE MY HEART IS THINE
DEAREST IF I HAVE OFFENDED
ENJOYN ME THEN SOME PENNANCE HARD
THAT MY FAULT MAY BE AMENDED
ERE YOUR FAVOUR BE DEBARD
FOR IF I MUST PENNANCE DO
I'LE GO UNTO NO SAINT BUT YOU
DEATH NEVER PARTS SUCH LOVING HEARTS
DEATH ONLY PARTES TWO LOVING HEARTES
DESIRE AND DESERVE
DESIRE HATH NO REST
DESIRE HATH SET MY HEART ON FIRE
DESIRE. LIKE FIRE DOTH STILL ASPIRE
DESIRE NOT MEE Yt JOYES IN THEE
DIAMOND
E MERALD
AMETHYST
RUBY
EMERALD
SAPPHIRE
TOPAZ
DIRECT OUR WAYES LORD ALL OUR DAYES
DIVINELY KNIT BY GOD ARE WE
LATE ONE NOW TWO THE PLEDGE YOU SEE
ENDLESS AS THIS SHALL BE OUR BLISS
ENDLESS BEE MY LOVE TO THEE
ETERNALLY MY LOVE SHAL BE
EVER TRUE MY DEAR TO YOU
EVERY LETTER HERE DOTH SHEW
THAT MY HEART IS LINK'T TO YOU
AND BY THIS TOKEN IS EXPREST
THAT YOU ARE SHE WHOM I LOVE BEST
EYE DOTH FIND HEART DOTH CHOOSE
FAITH DOTH BIND DEATH DOTH LOSE
FAIR AS VENUS AS DIANA
CHAST AND PURE IS MY SUSANA
FEARE GOD AND LYE ABED TILL NOONE
FEAR GOD HONOUR THE PRINCE
LYE STILL JOAN AND DON'T WINCE
FLESH OF MY FLESH BONE OF MY BONE
FROM ONE MADE TWO IS TWO MADE ONE
FOR A KISS TAKE THIS
FOR ONE AND LOVE SOME SAY ARE BLIND
I SAY THEY SEE IF THOU PROVE KIND