The poems and translations of Sir Edward Sherburne (1616-1702) excluding Seneca and Manilius Introduced and Annotated by F. J. Van Beeck |
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The Penitent Murderer.
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 | The poems and translations of Sir Edward Sherburne (1616-1702) |  |
The Penitent Murderer.
Εις νεκρον Αδωνιν.
VVhen
Venus saw Adonis dead,
His Tresses soyl'd, his Colour fled,
She strait her winged Loves commands
To bring the cruell Boar in Bands.
They, the Woods nimbly ranging, found
The pensive Beast, and brought him bound:
This drags along the captiv'd foe,
That pricks him forward with his Bow.
With trembling steps the Boar drew nigh,
For he fear'd angry Venus Eye.
—T'whom thus she spake: O thou the Worst,
Of all wild Beasts, and most accurst!
Was't thou with wounding Tusks didst tear
This whiter Thygh? thou kill my Dear?
His Tresses soyl'd, his Colour fled,
She strait her winged Loves commands
To bring the cruell Boar in Bands.
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The pensive Beast, and brought him bound:
This drags along the captiv'd foe,
That pricks him forward with his Bow.
With trembling steps the Boar drew nigh,
For he fear'd angry Venus Eye.
—T'whom thus she spake: O thou the Worst,
Of all wild Beasts, and most accurst!
Was't thou with wounding Tusks didst tear
This whiter Thygh? thou kill my Dear?
To whom the Boar reply'd, I swear
By thy self Venus, by thy Dear,
By these my Bonds, these Hunters, I
Meant to thy Love no Injury:
But gazing on him, as some fair
Statue, unapt the flames to bear
Desire had kindled in my Brest,
To kiss his naked Thigh I prest;
And kissing, kill'd him: wherefore these,
These murd'ring Tusks, doom as you please.
(For why alas! Teeth do I bear
That useless and enamour'd are?)
Or if a punishment too small
You yet think that, take Lips and All.
By thy self Venus, by thy Dear,
By these my Bonds, these Hunters, I
Meant to thy Love no Injury:
But gazing on him, as some fair
Statue, unapt the flames to bear
Desire had kindled in my Brest,
To kiss his naked Thigh I prest;
And kissing, kill'd him: wherefore these,
These murd'ring Tusks, doom as you please.
(For why alas! Teeth do I bear
That useless and enamour'd are?)
Or if a punishment too small
You yet think that, take Lips and All.
But Venus, pittying the Beast,
Commands that strait he be releas'd;
Who to the Woods ne'r went again,
But liv'd as one of Venus Train:
And coming one Day near a Fire,
Quench'd there the flames of his Desire.
Commands that strait he be releas'd;
Who to the Woods ne'r went again,
But liv'd as one of Venus Train:
And coming one Day near a Fire,
Quench'd there the flames of his Desire.
| The poems and translations of Sir Edward Sherburne (1616-1702) | |