O cruel beloved, I would have waited even longer upon your promise, if only I had any certainty or trust in the span of my own life.
The lover speaks to his cruel beloved with gentle irony, saying he would gladly have waited even longer for their elusive promise to be fulfilled. The tragedy isn't just the beloved's unreliability, but life's own fragile uncertainty—there simply isn't enough time left to gamble on hope. It captures a poignant mix of endless devotion and the bitter awareness that death might arrive before love ever does.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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