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(From Portraits, VII)
ME happy, night, night full of brightness; | |
| On couch made happy by my long delectations; | |
| How many words talked out with abundant candles; | |
| Struggles when the lights were taken away; | |
| Now with bared breasts she wrestled against me, | 5 |
| Tunic spread in delay; | |
| And she then opening my eyelids fallen in sleep, | |
| Her lips upon them; and it was her mouth saying: Sluggard! | |
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| In how many varied embraces, our changing arms, | |
| Her kisses, how many, lingering on my lips. | 10 |
| “Turn not Venus into a blinded motion, | |
| Eyes are the guides of love, | |
| Paris took Helen naked coming from the bed of Menelaus, | |
| Endymion’s naked body, bright bait for Diana,” | |
| —such at least is the story. | 15 |
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| While our fates twine together, sate we our eyes with love; | |
| For long night comes upon you | |
| and a day when no day returns, | |
| Let the gods lay chains upon us | |
| so that no day shall unbind them. | 20 |
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| Fool who set a term to love’s madness, | |
| For the sun shall drive with black horses, | |
| earth shall bring wheat from barley, | |
| The flood shall move toward the fountain | |
| Ere love know moderations, | 25 |
| The fish shall swim in dry streams. | |
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| No, now while it may be, let not the fruit of life cease. | |
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| Dry leaves drop their petals, | |
| their stalls are woven in baskets, | |
| Today we take the great breath of lovers, | 30 |
| tomorrow fate shuts us in. | |
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| Though you will give all your kisses, | |
| you give but a few.” | |
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| Nor can I shift my pains to other | |
| Hers will I be dead, | 35 |
| If she confers such nights upon me, | |
| long is my life, long in years, | |
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| If she give me many, | |
| God am I for the time. | |
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