nus and adonis(维纳斯和阿多尼斯)-第2章
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Shows thee unripe; yet mayst thou well be tasted: Make use of time;
let not advantage slip; Beauty within itself should not be wasted: Fair
flowers that are not gather'd in their prime Rot and consume themselves in
little time。
'Were I hard…favour'd; foul; or wrinkled…old; Ill…nurtur'd; crooked;
churlish; harsh in voice; O'erworn; despised; rheumatic; and cold; Thick…
sighted; barren; lean; and lacking juice;
Then mightst thou pause; for then I were not for thee; But having no
defects; why dost abhor me?
'Thou canst not see one winkle in my brow;
Mine eyes are grey and bright; and quick in turning; My beauty as the
spring doth yearly grow; My flesh is soft and plump; my marrow burning;
My smooth moist hand; were it with thy hand felt。 Would in thy palm
dissolve; or seem to melt。
'Bid me discourse; I will enchant thine ear; Or like a fairy; trip upon
the green; Or; like a nymph; with long dishevell'd hair; Dance on the sands;
and yet no footing seen:
Love is a spirit all compact of fire; Not gross to sink; but light; and
will aspire。
'Witness this primrose bank whereon I lie;
These forceless flowers like sturdy trees support me; Two
strengthless doves will draw me through the sky; From morn till night;
even where I list to sport me: Is love so light; sweet boy; and may it be
That thou shouldst think it heavy unto thee?
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'Is thine own heart to shine own face affected? Can thy right hand
seize love upon thy left? Then woo thyself; be of thyself rejected; Steal
thine own freedom; and complain on theft。
Narcissus so himself himself forsook; And died to kiss his shadow in
the brook。
'Torches are made to light; jewels to wear; Dainties to taste; fresh
beauty for the use;
Herbs for their smell; and sappy plants to bear; Things growing to
themselves are growth's abuse: Seeds spring from seeds; and beauty
breedeth beauty; Thou wast begot; to get it is thy duty。
'Upon the earth's increase why shouldst thou feed; Unless the earth
with thy increase be fed? By law of nature thou art bound to breed; That
thine may live when thou thyself art dead;
And so in spite of death thou dost survive; In that thy likeness still is
left alive。'
By this the love…sick queen began to sweat; For where they lay the
shadow had forsook them;
And Titan; tired in the mid…day heat With burning eye did hotly
overlook them; Wishing Adonis had his team to guide; So he were like
him and by Venus' side。
And now Adonis with a lazy spright; And with a heavy; dark; disliking
eye; His louring brows o'erwhelming his fair sight; Like misty vapours
when they blot the sky;
Souring his cheeks; cries; 'Fie! no more of love: The sun doth burn
my face; I must remove。'
'Ay me;' quoth Venus; 'young; and so unkind! What bare excuses
mak'st thou to be gone!
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
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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 interest if thou wilt have twain。
'Fie! lifeless picture; cold and senseless stone; Well…painted idol; image
dull and 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;
Sometimes 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 hemm'd 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
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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 liv'd; and
there he could not die。
These lovely caves; these round enchanting pits; Open'd 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' tramping courier doth espy; And forth she rushes; snorts and
neighs aloud: The strong…neck'd 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…prick'd; his braided hanging mane Upon his compass'd
crest now stand on end;
His nostrils drink t