In the first stanza he compares the impending separation of the lovers to death. The speaker compares his parting from his lover to the parting of the soul from a virtuous man at death. According to the speaker, "virtuous men pass mildly away" because the virtue in their lives has assured them of glory and reward in the afterlife; hence, they die in peace without fear and emotion. He suggests that the separation of the lovers be like this separation caused by death.
             In the second stanza the speaker furthers his comparison for a peaceful separation. "So let us melt, and make no noise" (line 5) refers to the melting of gold by a goldsmith. When gold is melted it does not sputter and is therefore quiet. The speaker and his love should not display their private, intimate love as "tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move" (line 6). The speaker thinks that it would be a "profanation" (line 7) to reveal the sacred love he shares with his lady. It would be similar to priests revealing the mysteries of their faith to "the laity" (line 8), that is, to ordinary people. The loud display of grief upon separation would therefore desecrate the sacred love of the speaker and his lady to the less elevated love of ordinary people.
             In the third stanza, the speaker again refers to the unrefined love of ordinary people in contrast with the love between he and his lady. The upheavals in the lives of ordinary lovers on earth are earthquakes ("Moving of th'earth") that bring "harms and fears" (line 9). In contrast, in a more refined love such as that between the speaker and his lady, any disturbance is above the reach of such earthly upheavals. It is like the far-off trembling in the heavens. It is as if their love resided in the heavens, among the crystal spheres of the Ptolemaic universe. Even when there is trembling of the spheres, it is "innocent" -- it will cause no ha...