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第3章

venus and adonis-第3章

小说: venus and adonis 字数: 每页4000字

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  I'll sigh celestial breath; whose gentle wind

  Shall cool the heat of this descending sun;

    I'll make a shadow for thee of my hairs;

    If they burn too; I'll quench them with my tears。



  'The sun that shines from heaven shines but warm;

  And lo; I lie between that sun and thee;

  The heat I have from thence doth little harm;

  Thine eye darts forth the fire that burneth me;

    And were I not immortal; life were done

    Between this heavenly and earthly sun。



  'Art thou obdurate; flinty; hard as steel?

  Nay; more than flint; for stone at rain relenteth。

  Art thou a woman's son; and canst not feel

  What 'tis to love; how want of love tormenteth?

    O; had thy mother borne so hard a mind;

    She had not brought forth thee; but died unkind。



  'What am I that thou shouldst contemn me this?

  Or what great danger dwells upon my suit?

  What were thy lips the worse for one poor kiss?

  Speak; fair; but speak fair words; or else be mute。

    Give me one kiss; I'll give it thee again;

    And one for int'rest; if thou wilt have twain。



  'Fie; lifeless picture; cold and senseless stone;

  Well painted idol; image dull ind dead;

  Statue contenting but the eye alone;

  Thing like a man; but of no woman bred!

    Thou art no man; though of a man's complexion;

    For men will kiss even by their own direction。'



  This said; impatience chokes her pleading tongue;

  And swelling passion doth provoke a pause;

  Red cheeks and fiery eyes blaze forth her wrong;

  Being judge in love; she cannot right her cause;

    And now she weeps; and now she fain would speak;

    And now her sobs do her intendments break。



  Sometimes she shakes her head; and then his hand;

  Now gazeth she on him; now on the ground;

  Sometime her arms infold him like a band;

  She would; he will not in her arms be bound;

    And when from thence he struggles to be gone;

    She locks her lily fingers one in one。



  'Fondling;' she saith; 'since I have hemmed thee here

  Within the circuit of this ivory pale;

  I'll be a park; and thou shalt be my deer;

  Feed where thou wilt; on mountain or in dale;

    Graze on my lips; and if those hills be dry;

    Stray lower; where the pleasant fountains lie。



  'Within this limit is relief enough;

  Sweet bottom…grass and high delightful plain;

  Round rising hillocks; brakes obscure and rough;

  To shelter thee from tempest and from rain:

    Then be my deer; since I am such a park;

    No dog shall rouse thee; though a thousand bark。'



  At this Adonis smiles as in disdain;

  That in each cheek appears a pretty dimple。

  Love made those hollows; if himself were slain;

  He might be buried in a tomb so simple;

    Foreknowing well; if there he came to lie;

    Why; there Love lived; and there he could not die。



  These lovely caves; these round enchanting pits;

  Opened their mouths to swallow Venus' liking。

  Being mad before; how doth she now for wits?

  Struck dead at first; what needs a second striking?

    Poor queen of love; in thine own law forlorn;

    To love a cheek that smiles at thee in scorn!



  Now which way shall she turn? what shall she say?

  Her words are done; her woes the more increasing;

  The time is spent; her object will away;

  And from her twining arms doth urge releasing。

    'Pity;' she cries; 'some favour; some remorse!'

    Away he springs; and hasteth to his horse。



  But lo; from forth a copse that neighbours by;

  A breeding jennet; lusty; young and proud;

  Adonis' trampling courser doth espy;

  And forth she rushes; snorts and neighs aloud。

    The strong…necked steed; being tied unto a tree;

    Breaketh his rein and to her straight goes he。



  Imperiously he leaps; he neighs; he bounds;

  And now his woven girths he breaks asunder;

  The bearing earth with his hard hoof he wounds;

  Whose hollow womb resounds like heaven's thunder;

    The iron bit he crusheth 'tween his teeth;

    Controlling what he was controlled with。



  His ears up…pricked; his braided hanging mane

  Upon his compassed crest now stand on end;

  His nostrils drink the air; and forth again;

  As from a furnace; vapours doth he send;

    His eye; which scornfully glisters like fire;

    Shows his hot courage and his high desire。



  Sometime he trots; as if he told the steps;

  With gentle majesty and modest pride;

  Anon he rears upright; curvets and leaps;

  As who should say 'Lo; thus my strength is tried;

    And this I do to captivate the eye

    Of the fair breeder that is standing by。'



  What recketh he his rider's angry stir;

  His flattering 'Holla' or his 'Stand; I say?'

  What cares he now for curb or pricking spur?

  For rich caparisons or trappings gay?

    He sees his love; and nothing else he sees;

    For nothing else with his proud sight agrees。



  Look when a painter would surpass the life

  In limning out a well…proportioned steed;

  His art with nature's workmanship at strife;

  As if the dead the living should exceed;

    So did this horse excel a common one

    In shape; in courage; colour; pace and bone。



  Round…hoofed; short…jointed; fetlocks shag and long;

  Broad breast; full eye; small head and nostril wide;

  High crest; short ears; straight legs and passing strong;

  Thin mane; thick tail; broad buttock; tender hide;

    Look what a horse should have he did not lack;

    Save a proud rider on so proud a back。



  Sometime he scuds far off; and there he stares;

  Anon he starts at stirring of a feather;

  To bid the wind a base he now prepares;

  And whe'er he run or fly they know not whether;

    For through his mane and tail the high wind sings;

    Fanning the hairs; who wave like feath'red wings。



  He looks upon his love and neighs unto her;

  She answers him as if she knew his mind;

  Being proud; as females are; to see him woo her;

  She puts on outward strangeness; seems unkind;

    Spurns at his love and scorns the heat he feels;

    Beating his kind embracements with her heels。



  Then; like a melancholy malcontent;

  He vails his tail; that; like a falling plume;

  Cool shadow to his melting buttock lent;

  He stamps; and bites the poor flies in his fume。

    His love; perceiving how he was enraged;

    Grew kinder; and his fury was assuaged。



  His testy master goeth about to take him;

  When; lo; the unbacked breeder; full of fear;

  Jealous of catching; swiftly doth forsake him;

  With her the horse; and left Adonis there。

    As they were mad; unto the wood they hie them;

    Out…stripping crows that strive to over…fly them。



  All swoln with chafing; down Adonis sits;

  Banning his boist'rous and unruly beast;

  And now the happy season once more fits

  That love…sick Love by pleading may be blest;

    For lovers say the heart hath treble wrong

    When it is barred the aidance of the tongue。



  An oven that is stopped; or river stayed;

  Burneth more hotly; swelleth with more rage;

  So of concealed sorrow may be said;

  Free vent of words love's fire doth assuage;

    But when the heart's attorney once is mute;

    The client breaks; as desperate in his suit。



  He sees her coming; and begins to glow;

  Even as a dying coal revives with wind;

  And with his bonnet hides his angry brow;

  Looks on the dull earth with disturbed mind;

    Taking no notice that she is so nigh;

    For all askance he holds her in his eye。



  O; what a sight it was; wistly to view

  How she came stealing to the wayward boy!

  To note the fighting conflict of her hue;

  How white and red each other did destroy!

    But now her cheek was pale; and by and by

    It flashed forth fire; as lightning from the sky。



  Now was she just before him as he sat;

  And like a lowly lover down she kneels;

  With one fair hand she heaveth up his hat

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