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第8章

venus and adonis-第8章

小说: venus and adonis 字数: 每页4000字

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  When he was by; the birds such pleasure took

  That some would sing; some other in their bills

    Would bring him mulberries and ripe…red cherries;

    He fed them with his sight; they him with beffies。



  'But this foul; grim; and urchin…snouted boar;

  Whose downward eye still looketh for a grave;

  Ne'er saw the beauteous livery that he wore;

  Witness the entertainment that he gave。

    If he did see his face; why then I know

    He thought to kiss him; and hath killed him so。



  ''Tis true; 'tis true; thus was Adonis slain:

  He ran upon the boar with his sharp spear;

  Who did not whet his teeth at him again;

  But by a kiss thought to persuade him there;

    And nuzzling in his flank; the loving swine

    Sheathed unaware the tusk in his soft groin。



  'Had I been toothed like him; I must confess;

  With kissing him I should have killed him first;

  But he is dead; and never did he bless

  My youth with his; the more am I accurst。'

    With this; she falleth in the place she stood;

    And stains her face with his congealed blood。



  She looks upon his lips; and they are pale;

  She takes him by the hand; and that is cold;

  She whispers in his ears a heavy tale;

  As if they heard the woeful words she told;

    She lifts the coffer…lids that close his eyes;

    Where; lo; two lamps; burnt out; in darkness lies;



  Two glasses; where herself herself beheld

  A thousand times; and now no more; reflect;

  Their virtue lost wherein they late excelled;

  And every beauty robbed of his effect。

    'Wonder of time;' quoth she; 'this is my spite;

    That; thou being dead; the day should yet be light。



  'Since thou art dead; lo; here I prophesy

  Sorrow on love hereafter shall attend;

  It shall be waited on with jealousy;

  Find sweet beginning but unsavoury end;

    Ne'er settled equally; but high or low;

    That all love's pleasure shall not match his woe。



  'It shall be fickle; false and full of fraud;

  Bud; and be blasted; in a breathing while;

  The bottom poison; and the top o'erstrawed

  With sweets that shall the truest sight beguile;

    The strongest body shall it make most weak;

    Strike the wise dumb; and teach the fool to speak。



  'It shall be sparing; and too full of riot;

  Teaching decrepit age to tread the measures;

  The staring ruffian shall it keep in quiet;

  Pluck down the rich; enrich the poor with treasures;

    It shall be raging…mad; and silly…mild;

    Make the young old; the old become a child。



  'It shall suspect where is no cause of fear;

  It shall not fear where it should most mistrust;

  It shall be merciful and too severe;

  And most deceiving when it seems most just;

    Perverse it shall be where it shows most toward;

    Put fear to valour; courage to the coward。



  'It shall be cause of war and dire events;

  And set dissension 'twixt the son and sire;

  Subject and servile to all discontents;

  As dry combustious matter is to fire。

    Sith in his prime death doth my love destroy;

    They that love best their loves shall not enjoy。'



  By this the boy that by her side lay killed

  Was melted like a vapour from her sight;

  And in his blood that on the ground lay spilled

  A purple flower sprung up; chequ'red with white;

    Resembling well his pale cheeks; and the blood

    Which in round drops upon their whiteness stood。



  She bows her head the new…sprung flower to smell;

  Comparing it to her Adonis' breath;

  And says within her bosom it shall dwell;

  Since he himself is reft from her by death;

    She crops the stalk; and in the breach appears

    Green…dropping sap; which she compares to tears。



  'Poor flower;' quoth she; 'this was thy father's guise

  Sweet issue of a more sweet…smelling sire

  For every little grief to wet his eyes。

  To grow unto himself was his desire;

    And so 'tis thine; but know; it is as good

    To wither in my breast as in his blood。



  'Here was thy father's bed; here in my breast;

  Thou art the next of blood; and 'tis thy right。

  Lo; in this hollow cradle take thy rest;

  My throbbing heart shall rock thee day and night;

    There shall not be one minute in an hour

    Wherein I will not kiss my sweet love's flower。'



  Thus weary of the world; away she hies;

  And yokes her silver doves; by whose swift aid

  Their mistress; mounted; through the empty skies

  In her light chariot quickly is conveyed;

    Holding their course to Paphos; where their queen

    Means to immure herself and not be seen。





                        …THE END…



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