Shakespeare's Sonnet 145

Those lips that Love’s own hand did make,Breathed forth the sound that said ‘I hate’,To me that languish’d for her sake:But when she saw my woeful state,Straight in her heart did mercy come,Chiding that tongue that ever sweetWas us’d in giving gentle doom;And taught it thus anew to greet;‘I hate’ she alter’d with an end,That followed it as gentle day,Doth follow night, who like a fiendFrom heaven to hell is flown away.‘I hate’, from hate away she threw,And sav’d my life, saying ‘not you’.

Those lips that Love's own hand made breathed out the words ‘I hate’ to me, as I wasted away for her sake. But when she saw my miserable state, mercy immediately entered her heart, scolding that tongue, which had always been sweet when delivering gentle judgments, and teaching it to address me differently. She changed ‘I hate’ by adding an ending that followed it as gentle daylight follows night, when night flies like a devil from heaven down to hell. She stripped the hatred from ‘I hate’ and saved my life by saying ‘not you.’