Sweet Pirate of the heart, 1
Not Pirate of the Sea,
What wrecketh thee?
Some spice's Mutiny－
Some Attar's perfidy?
Confide in me.
Not Pirate of the Sea,
What wrecketh thee?
Some spice's Mutiny－
Some Attar's perfidy?
Confide in me.
(F.1568/J.1546)
[1] Sweet Pirate: a plagiarist. Heart: essential part of one's work.
[2] Not, the Sea: a hint on the answer.
[3] wrecketh thee: what has a plagiarist ruined.
[4] Spice: seasoning of one's writing. Mutiny: rebel against the original author.
[5] Attar: condensed words. perfidy?: do they (spice and attar) betray their master?
[6] Confide: spice and attar, the original author's style, should tell the truth.
Nor, whilst the pilfering plagiarist can thus steal stick after stick, as crows break up the nest of their brother whilst he is away, are authors much better guarded by the common law against the bolder pirate, who robs them at once of all.——The Edinburgh Review (1823)