The Flea1 Mark but this flea, and mark in this,2 How little that which thou denyst me is;Look at the flea, you will know that it is unworthy of mentioning the fact that you refuse to sleep with me.3 Me it suckd first, and now sucks thee,It sucked me first and it sucks you now.4 And in this flea our two bloods mingled be;Our bloods are mingled in this flea.5 Confess it, this cannot be said6 A sin, or shame, or loss of maidenhead,You must admit the fact that which cant be called a sin or shame or loss of virginity.7 Yet this enjoys before it woo,But the flea enjoys you without wooing you. 8 And pamperd swells1 with one blood made of two;The pregnancy mingled with our bloods,9 And this, alas, is more than we would do.2We, alas, dont dare to hope for his consummation for our love, nevertheless the flee accepts it.10 Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare,Please stop! Dont kill the flea with three lives.11 Where we almost, nay more than married are3:In this flea, we are not just married.12 This flea is you and I, and this 13 Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is;The flea is you and I, and its also our marriage bed and our marriage temple.14 Though parents grudge, and you, were met,15 And cloisterd in these living walls of jet4.Although our parents disagree on our marriage, and we meet each other and secluded in this flea.16 Though use make you apt to kill me,17 Let not to that self-murder added be,18 And sacrilege, three sins in killing three1.You tend to kill me out of inclination, but dont add the sin of self-murder and sacrilege to the three sins of killing you, I and our coming baby by killing this flea.19 Cruel and sudden, hast thou since20 Purpled thy nail, in blood of innocence?You are so cruel and impulsive since you have made your nail red with blood of innocence. 21 In what could this flea guilty be,22 Except in that drop which it sucked from thee?Except for the fact that it sucked a drop from you, what other guilt does it have?23 Yet thou triumphst, and sayst that thou24 Findst not thyself nor me the weaker now;But you are complacent about it, and say that you find neither yourself nor me are weaker now.25 Tis true, then learn how false fears be;It is true. Now you know how unnecessary your fears are.26 Just so much honour, when thou yieldst to me,27 Will waste, as this fleas death took life from thee.The harm to your reputation if you accept our consummation of love is as much as the harm of the fleas death to you.