День святого Валентина. В 2025 году отмечают 14 Февраля.

Before I Ask Y'all, Please Understand
Before I ask y'all, please understand,
Even as I come from way down South,
My heart is more loquacious than my mouth,
Yearning like a wave for your smooth sand.
Very few down here will show their hand,
Aching like a riverbed for rain,
Lying like a platitude in pain,
Each chili inside, outside baked beans bland.
Now here down South it ain't right to demand
The things you're dying for, but you real fine,
In a voice polite as preachers set to dine,
Nicely say, "Mind if I trouble you, Ma'am," -
Easy like - "to be my Valentine?"

Before I Knew You, I Had Always Loved You
Before I knew you, I had always loved you,
Even as I dreamed of whom I'd love.
My inner picture was a portrait of you
Years before your heart my heart would move.
Vistas of enchantment are but rarely
As we find them in reality.
Love with you is what I dreamed, but really,
Eden as no dream could ever be.
Nor is this the magic of the moment,
The proper costume for the holiday.
In words like these one finds the winnowed ferment,
Not of the desire, but of the way,
Else lost amid the longings of the day.

The way you turn me on
Is like the switch of a light
Because when I see you
I think: What a sight!
You brighten things up
Throughout the whole day
And when you're about to leave
I say to myself: Please stay
Some day you might be my lover
Some day you might be my friend
Whichever one comes first
I hope will never end
Although I don't really know you
You mean a ton to me
A ton as big as heaven
Is what I want you to see.
Now I'm not sure you're single
You might be happily in love
Whomever he might be
He is very lucky
If there's no one to fulfill
That great big happiness
That brings such great a feeling
Of sweet and joy and bless
I would be the one
To bring that all to you
I'll always do you right
If you want me to.
A rose for you

Как символ чувства святого
Пишу три заветных слова:
"Я тебя люблю".
И ответа молю.

How do I love thee?
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need; by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath.
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Elizabeth Barrnett Browning

How Little in Me Is Not Touched by You
How little in me is not touched by you!
A friendship is a light that fills the heart,
Painting with its gold each darkened hue,
Providing warmth to each sequestered part.
You are the mirror of my better self,
Verifier of the best in me,
A bridge across the unsuspected gulf
Lodged between what can and ought to be.
Expectations can be wings, not bars,
Necessary to sustain our flight.
The faith of friends in us is wholly ours,
Incoming to uplift us to its height.
No soul can see itself, but must depend,
Each on each, upon a trusted friend.

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright,
Meet in the aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven and gaudy day denies.
Lord Byron

Ты о любви не говори!
Испортить можешь всё словами.
Ты докажи её делами,
Глазами, нежностью, губами,
Осыпь душистыми цветами,
А вслух о ней не говори.

If I could save time in a bottle
If I could save time in a bottle
the first thing that I'd like to do
is to save every day 'til eternity passes away
just to spend them with you
if I could make days last forever
if words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
again I would spend them with you
if I had a box just for wishes
and dreams that had never come true
the box would be empty except for the
memories of how they were answered by you
but there never seems
to be enough time to do the
things you want once you find them
I've looked around enough to know that
you're the one I want to go through time with

In My Thoughts...
I had no reason
to send you a card,
no great news to reveal.
But I wanted you to know
that you're in my thoughts
and in my heart as well.
And I'm sending you a
wish for a wonderful day.
I hope lots of sunshine
comes your way.

LOVE
In all earth's music, grand, or sweet, or strong,
To hear one name, as if 'twere set in song.
In all my poems, written 'neath the sun,
To find the praises, o'er and o'er, in one.
To feel thyself a lesser part of what
Hadst thou not found, the earth would be as naught.
To think all beauty, perfectness and grace,
As but the shadow of one worshiped face.
With that face's coming, to bask in warmth and light
And with its going to grope, as in the night.
To rather feel a dear hand's stinging blow
Than any caress another might bestow.
To rather sit in gloom, and hear one voice
Than, missing that, on mountain tops rejoice.
To lose all individual hope and aim,
And have no wish, but for another's fame.
To count grief naught, though great, if one is glad.
To feel no joy if that dear one is sad.
Do thy heart strings, responsive, answer this?
Then thou hast known true love in all its bliss.

Пусть радостью твои глаза искрятся,
Улыбка никогда не сходит с губ.
Умей, когда и трудно рассмеяться,
Улыбкой погасить любой недуг.
Умей любить и ждать, и верит людям,
Ни злости, ни корысти не тая,
Умей дышать свободно, полной грудью,
И счастье, верь, не обойдёт тебя.