T. R. Smith, comp. Poetica Erotica: Rare and Curious Amatory Verse. 1921–22.
To Lydia
Mediæval Latin Student’s Songs(From Wine, Women and Song. Translated by John Addington Symonds) |
LYDIA bright, thou girl more white | |
| Than the milk of morning new, | |
| Or young lilies in the light! | |
| Matched with thy rose-whiteness, hue | |
| Of red rose or white rose pales, | 5 |
| And the polished ivory fails, | |
| Ivory fails. | |
| Spread, O spread, my girl, thy hair, | |
| Amber-hued and heavenly bright, | |
| As fine gold or golden air! | 10 |
| Show, O show thy throat so white, | |
| Throat and neck that marble fine | |
| Over thy white breasts incline, | |
| Breasts incline. | |
| Lift, O lift thine eyes that are | 15 |
| Underneath those eyelids dark, | |
| Lustrous as the evening star | |
| ’Neath the dark heaven’s purple arc! | |
| Bare, O bare thy cheeks of rose, | |
| Dyed with Tyrian red that glows, | 20 |
| Red that glows. | |
| Give, O give those lips of love | |
| That the coral boughs eclipse; | |
| Give sweet kisses, dove by dove, | |
| Soft descending on my lips. | 25 |
| See my soul how forth she flies! | |
| ’Neath each kiss my pierced heart dies, | |
| Pierced heart dies. | |
| Wherefore dost thou draw my life, | |
| Drain my heart’s blood with thy kiss? | 30 |
| Scarce can I endure the strife | |
| Of this ecstasy of bliss! | |
| Set, O set my poor heart free, | |
| Bound in icy chains by thee, | |
| Chains by thee. | 35 |
| Hide, O hide those hills of snow, | |
| Twinned upon thy breast that rise, | |
| Where the virgin fountains flow | |
| With fresh milk of Paradise! | |
| Thy bare bosom breathes of myrrh, | 40 |
| From thy whole self pleasures stir, | |
| Pleasures stir. | |
| Hide, O hide those paps that tire | |
| Sense and spirit with excess | |
| Of snow-whiteness and desire | 45 |
| Of thy breast’s deliciousness! | |
| See’st thou, cruel, how I swoon? | |
| Leav’st thou me half lost so soon? | |
| Lost so soon? | |