| |
(Translated by John Nott)
LOVELY Lydia! lovely maid! | |
| Either rose in thee’s displayed; | |
| Roses of a blushing red, | |
| O’er thy lips and cheeks are shed: | |
| Roses of a paly hue | 5 |
| In thy fairer charms we view. | |
| Now thy braided hair unbind; | |
| Now luxuriant, unconfined, | |
| Let thy wavy tresses flow; | |
| Tresses bright, of burnished glow! | 10 |
| Bare thy ivory neck, my fair! | |
| Now thy snowy shoulders bare: | |
| Bid the vivid lustre rise, | |
| In thy passion-streaming eyes; | |
| See, the lucent meteors gleam! | 15 |
| See, they speak the wishful flame! | |
| And how gracefully above, | |
| Modelled from the bow of love, | |
| Are thy arching brows displayed, | |
| Soft’ning in a sable shade! | 20 |
| Let a warmer crimson streak | |
| The velvet of thy downey cheek: | |
| Let thy lips, that breathe perfume, | |
| Deeper purple now assume: | |
| Give me little billing kisses, | 25 |
| Intermixt with murm’ring blisses. | |
| Soft! my love!—my angel, stay!— | |
| Soft!—you suck my breath away: | |
| Drink the life-drops of my heart; | |
| Draw my soul from every part: | 30 |
| Scarce my senses can sustain, | |
| So much pleasure, so much pain! | |
| Hide thy broad, voluptuous breast! | |
| Hide that balmy heaven of rest! | |
| See, to feast the enamoured eyes, | 35 |
| How the snowy hillocks rise, | |
| Parted by the luscious vale, | |
| Whence luxurious sweets exhale: | |
| Nature framed thee but t’inspire, | |
| Never-ending, fond desire! | 40 |
| Again, above its envious vest, | |
| See, thy bosom heaves confest! | |
| Hide the rapturous dear delight! | |
| Hide it from my ravished sight! | |
| Hide it!—for through all my soul | 45 |
| Tides of madd’ning transport roll: | |
| Venting now the impassioned sigh, | |
| See me languish, see me die! | |
| Tear not from me then thy charms! | |
| Snatch, oh, snatch me to thine arms! | 50 |
| With a life-inspiring kiss, | |
| Wake my sinking soul to bliss! | |
| |
