venus and adonis-第3章
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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