The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis paraphrastically translated out of Latine into English Hexameters by Abraham Fraunce |
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| 2. | The second Lamentation. |
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 | The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis |  |
The second Lamentation.
When by the pleasant streams of Thames poore caitif Amintas
Had to the dull waters his grief thus vainly reuealed,
Spending al that day and night in vainly reuealing,
As soone as morning her shining heares fro the mountains
Had shewn forth, and dryu'n al star-light quite fro the heauens,
Then that vnhappy shepheard stil plag'd with vnhappily louing,
Left those barren banks and waters no pity taking,
And on a crookt sheephooke his lims all weary reposing,
Climed a loft to the hills, but, alas, very faintily clymed,
Kiddes, and goats, and sheepe driuing, goodman, to the mountains,
for sheepe, goats, and kidds with pasture better abounding,
Then by the way thus he spake, to the sheep, to the goats, to the yong kidds.
Had to the dull waters his grief thus vainly reuealed,
Spending al that day and night in vainly reuealing,
As soone as morning her shining heares fro the mountains
Had shewn forth, and dryu'n al star-light quite fro the heauens,
Then that vnhappy shepheard stil plag'd with vnhappily louing,
Left those barren banks and waters no pity taking,
And on a crookt sheephooke his lims all weary reposing,
Climed a loft to the hills, but, alas, very faintily clymed,
Kiddes, and goats, and sheepe driuing, goodman, to the mountains,
for sheepe, goats, and kidds with pasture better abounding,
Then by the way thus he spake, to the sheep, to the goats, to the yong kidds.
O poore flock, it seems you feele these pangs of a louer,
And mourne thus to behold your mournful maister Amyntas.
Your wont was, some part to be bleating, some to be skipping,
Some with bended browes and horned pates to be butting,
Sheepe to be gnapping grasse, and goats to the vines to be climing.
But now no such thing, but now no lust to be liuely,
Sheepe and seelly sheepheard with lucklesse loue bee besotted,
You for Amintas mourne, for Phillis mourneth Amyntas,
O with what miseries poore mortal men be molested?
And mourne thus to behold your mournful maister Amyntas.
Your wont was, some part to be bleating, some to be skipping,
Some with bended browes and horned pates to be butting,
Sheepe to be gnapping grasse, and goats to the vines to be climing.
But now no such thing, but now no lust to be liuely,
Sheepe and seelly sheepheard with lucklesse loue bee besotted,
You for Amintas mourne, for Phillis mourneth Amyntas,
O with what miseries poore mortal men be molested?
Now do I know right wel what makes you thus to be mourning,
Thus to be tyred, thus to be quailed, thus to be drooping:
Phillis while she remaynd, milkt my goates euer at euning,
Goats that brought home duggs stretcht with milk euer at euning.
Phillis brought them flowres, & them brought vnto the welsprings,
When dogdayes raigned, when fields were al to be scorched,
Whilst that I lay sleeping in cooling shade to refresh mee.
Thus to be tyred, thus to be quailed, thus to be drooping:
Phillis while she remaynd, milkt my goates euer at euning,
Goats that brought home duggs stretcht with milk euer at euning.
Phillis brought them flowres, & them brought vnto the welsprings,
When dogdayes raigned, when fields were al to be scorched,
Whilst that I lay sleeping in cooling shade to refresh mee.
Phillis againe was woont with Amyntas, sheepe to be washing,
Phillis againe was wont my sheepe thus washt to be shearing,
Then to the sweete pastures my sheepe thus shorne to be driuing,
And from fox and woolfe my sheepe thus dryu'n to bee keeping
With watchfull bawling and strength of lustie Lycisca,
And in folds and coates my flocke thus kept, to be closing:
Least by the Northern winds my sheepe might chance to be pinched
Least by the frost or snow my kids might chance to be grieued.
Phillis lou'd you so, so Phillis loued Amintas,
Phillis a guide of yours, and Phillis a friend of Amintas.
But sweete sheepe, sweete goates, spare not to be liuelie, for all this,
Looke not vpon my weeping face so sadly, for all this,
Harken not to my plaints and songs all heauie, for all this,
Harken not to my pipe, my pipe vnluckie, for all this.
But sweete sheepe, sweete goates, leaue of your maister Amintas,
Leape and skip by the flowring fields, and leaue of Amintas,
Climbe to the vines and tender trees, and leaue of Amintas,
Climbe to the vines, but runne for life, for feare of a mischiefe,
When th' old Silenus with his Asse comes lasilie trotting,
Let me alone, me alone lament and mourne my beloued,
Let me alone celebrate her death by my teares, by my mourning:
Phillis againe was wont my sheepe thus washt to be shearing,
Then to the sweete pastures my sheepe thus shorne to be driuing,
And from fox and woolfe my sheepe thus dryu'n to bee keeping
With watchfull bawling and strength of lustie Lycisca,
Least by the Northern winds my sheepe might chance to be pinched
Least by the frost or snow my kids might chance to be grieued.
Phillis lou'd you so, so Phillis loued Amintas,
Phillis a guide of yours, and Phillis a friend of Amintas.
But sweete sheepe, sweete goates, spare not to be liuelie, for all this,
Looke not vpon my weeping face so sadly, for all this,
Harken not to my plaints and songs all heauie, for all this,
Harken not to my pipe, my pipe vnluckie, for all this.
But sweete sheepe, sweete goates, leaue of your maister Amintas,
Leape and skip by the flowring fields, and leaue of Amintas,
Climbe to the vines and tender trees, and leaue of Amintas,
Climbe to the vines, but runne for life, for feare of a mischiefe,
When th' old Silenus with his Asse comes lasilie trotting,
Let me alone, me alone lament and mourne my beloued,
Let me alone celebrate her death by my teares, by my mourning:
Like to the siluer swan, who seeing death to be comming,
Wandreth alone for a while through streames of louelie Caïster,
Then to the flowring bankes all faint at length he repaireth,
Singing there, sweet bird his dying song to Caïster,
Geuing there, sweet bird, his last farewell to Caïster,
Yeelding vp, sweete bird, his breath and song to Caïster.
Wandreth alone for a while through streames of louelie Caïster,
Then to the flowring bankes all faint at length he repaireth,
Singing there, sweet bird his dying song to Caïster,
Geuing there, sweet bird, his last farewell to Caïster,
Yeelding vp, sweete bird, his breath and song to Caïster.
How can Amintas liue, when Phillis leaueth Amintas?
What for fieldes, for woods, for medowes careth Amintas,
Medowes, woods, and fieldes if my sweete Phillis abandon?
What for fieldes, for woods, for medowes careth Amintas,
Medowes, woods, and fieldes if my sweete Phillis abandon?
Mightie Pales fro the fieldes, fro the medowes learned Apollo,
Faunus went fro the woods, when Phillis went from Amintas,
No good sight to my eyes, no good sound came to my hearing.
But let Phillis againe come backe, and stay with Amintas,
Then shall woods with leaues, and fields with flowers be abounding,
Medowes with greene grasse to the poore mans dailie reioicing,
Mightie Pales to the fields, to the medowes learned Apollo,
Faunus comes to the woods, if Phillis come to Amintas,
No bad sight to my eyes, no bad sound comes to my hearing.
Faunus went fro the woods, when Phillis went from Amintas,
No good sight to my eyes, no good sound came to my hearing.
But let Phillis againe come backe, and stay with Amintas,
Then shall woods with leaues, and fields with flowers be abounding,
Medowes with greene grasse to the poore mans dailie reioicing,
Mightie Pales to the fields, to the medowes learned Apollo,
Faunus comes to the woods, if Phillis come to Amintas,
No bad sight to my eyes, no bad sound comes to my hearing.
Come then, good Phillis, come back, if destinie suffer,
Leaue those blessed bowers of foules alreadie departed,
Let those sparkling eyes most like to the fire, to the Christall,
Ouercome those hags and fiends of feareful Auernus.
Which haue ouercome those stars of chearful Olympus.
And by thy speech more sweet then songs of Thracian Orpheus,
Pacify th' infernall furies, please Pluto the grim god,
Stay that bawling curre, that three throate horrible helhound,
For vertue, for voice, th' art like to Sibilla, to Orpheus.
Leaue those blessed bowers of foules alreadie departed,
Let those sparkling eyes most like to the fire, to the Christall,
Ouercome those hags and fiends of feareful Auernus.
And by thy speech more sweet then songs of Thracian Orpheus,
Pacify th' infernall furies, please Pluto the grim god,
Stay that bawling curre, that three throate horrible helhound,
For vertue, for voice, th' art like to Sibilla, to Orpheus.
Sweethart, come, to thy friend, to thy friend come speedelie sweethart.
Speedelie come, least grief consume forsaken Amintas.
Phillis, I pray thee returne, if prayers may be regarded,
By these teares of mine, from cheekes aie rueful abounding,
By those armes of thine, which somtimes clasped Amintas,
By lips thine and mine, ioined most sweetly together,
By faith, hands, and hart with true sinceritie pledged,
By songs, by wedding with great solemnitie vowed,
By iests, and good turns, by pleasures all I beseech thee,
Helpe and succor, alas, thy forlorne louer Amintas.
Or by thy teares intreat those nimphs of destenie fatall,
No pitie taking nimphs intreat, that I liue not alone thus,
Pind thus a way with griefe, suffring vnspeakable anguish,
But let death, let death, come spedelie giue me my pasport,
So that I find faire fields, faire seats, faire groues by my dying,
And in fields, in seats, in groues faire Phillis abiding.
There shal Phillis againe, in curtesie striue with Amintas.
There with Phillis againe, in curtesie striue shal Amintas,
There shall Phillis againe make garlands gay for Amintas,
There for Phillis againe, gay garlands make shal Amintas,
There shal Phillis againe be repeating songs with Amintas,
Which songs Phillis afore had made and song with Amintas.
Speedelie come, least grief consume forsaken Amintas.
Phillis, I pray thee returne, if prayers may be regarded,
By these teares of mine, from cheekes aie rueful abounding,
By those armes of thine, which somtimes clasped Amintas,
By lips thine and mine, ioined most sweetly together,
By faith, hands, and hart with true sinceritie pledged,
By songs, by wedding with great solemnitie vowed,
By iests, and good turns, by pleasures all I beseech thee,
Helpe and succor, alas, thy forlorne louer Amintas.
Or by thy teares intreat those nimphs of destenie fatall,
No pitie taking nimphs intreat, that I liue not alone thus,
Pind thus a way with griefe, suffring vnspeakable anguish,
But let death, let death, come spedelie giue me my pasport,
So that I find faire fields, faire seats, faire groues by my dying,
And in fields, in seats, in groues faire Phillis abiding.
There shal Phillis againe, in curtesie striue with Amintas.
There with Phillis againe, in curtesie striue shal Amintas,
There shall Phillis againe make garlands gay for Amintas,
There for Phillis againe, gay garlands make shal Amintas,
There shal Phillis againe be repeating songs with Amintas,
Which songs Phillis afore had made and song with Amintas.
But what, alas, did I meane, to the whistling winds to be mourning?
As though mourning could restore what destenie taketh.
As though mourning could restore what destenie taketh.
Then to his house, ful sad, when night approcht, he retorned.
| The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis | |