A Poetical Translation of the elegies of Tibullus and of the poems of Sulpicia. With The Original Text, and Notes Critical and Explanatory. In two volumes. By James Grainger |
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| 2. | THE SECOND ELEGY.
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 | II. |
 | A Poetical Translation of the elegies of Tibullus |  |
25
THE SECOND ELEGY.
[With Wine, more Wine, my recent Pains deceive]
With Wine, more Wine, my recent Pains deceive,
Till creeping Slumber send a soft Reprieve:
Asleep, take heed no Whisper stirs the Air,
For wak'd, my Boy, I wake to heart-felt Care.
Now is my Delia watch'd by ruthless Spies,
And the Gate, bolted, all Access denies.
Relentless Gate! may Storms of Wind and Rain,
With mingled Violence avenge my Pain!
May forky Thunders, hurl'd by Jove's red Hand,
Burst every Bolt, and shatter every Band!
Ah no! Rage turns my Brain; the Curse recall;
On me, devoted, let the Thunder fall!
Then recollect my many Wreaths of Yore,
How oft you've seen me weep, insensate Door!
No longer then our Interview delay,
And as you open let no Noise betray.
Till creeping Slumber send a soft Reprieve:
Asleep, take heed no Whisper stirs the Air,
For wak'd, my Boy, I wake to heart-felt Care.
Now is my Delia watch'd by ruthless Spies,
And the Gate, bolted, all Access denies.
Relentless Gate! may Storms of Wind and Rain,
With mingled Violence avenge my Pain!
May forky Thunders, hurl'd by Jove's red Hand,
Burst every Bolt, and shatter every Band!
Ah no! Rage turns my Brain; the Curse recall;
On me, devoted, let the Thunder fall!
Then recollect my many Wreaths of Yore,
How oft you've seen me weep, insensate Door!
27
And as you open let no Noise betray.
In vain I plead!—Dare then my Delia rise!
Love aids the Dauntless, and will blind your Spies!
Those who the Godhead's soft Behests obey,
Steal from their Pillows unobserv'd away;
On tiptoe traverse unobserv'd the Floor;
The Key turn noiseless, and unfold the Door:
In vain the jealous each Precaution take,
Their speaking Fingers Assignations make.
Nor will the God impart to all his Aid:
Love hates the fearful, hates the lazy Maid;
But through sly Windings, and unpractis'd Ways,
His bold Night-Errants to their Wish conveys:
For those whom He with Expectation fires,
No Ambush frightens, and no Labour tires;
Sacred the Dangers of the Dark they dare,
No Robbers stop them, and no Bravoes scare.
Tho' wintery Tempests howl, by Love secure,
The howling Tempest I with ease endure:
No watching hurts me, if my Delia smile,
Soft turn the Gate, and beckon me the while.
Love aids the Dauntless, and will blind your Spies!
Those who the Godhead's soft Behests obey,
Steal from their Pillows unobserv'd away;
On tiptoe traverse unobserv'd the Floor;
The Key turn noiseless, and unfold the Door:
In vain the jealous each Precaution take,
Their speaking Fingers Assignations make.
Nor will the God impart to all his Aid:
Love hates the fearful, hates the lazy Maid;
But through sly Windings, and unpractis'd Ways,
His bold Night-Errants to their Wish conveys:
For those whom He with Expectation fires,
No Ambush frightens, and no Labour tires;
Sacred the Dangers of the Dark they dare,
No Robbers stop them, and no Bravoes scare.
Tho' wintery Tempests howl, by Love secure,
The howling Tempest I with ease endure:
29
Soft turn the Gate, and beckon me the while.
She's mine. Be blind, ye Ramblers of the Night,
Lest angry Venus snatch your guilty Sight:
The Goddess bids her Votaries Joys to be
From every casual Interruption free:
With prying Steps alarm us not, retire,
Nor glare your Torches, nor our Names enquire:
Or if ye know, deny, by Heaven above,
Nor dare divulge the Privacies of Love.
From Blood and Seas vindictive Venus sprung,
And sure Destruction waits the blabbing Tongue!
Nay, should they prate, you, Delia, need not fear;
Your Lord, (a Sorceress swore,) should give no Ear!
By potent Spells she cleaves the sacred Ground,
And shuddering Spectres wildly roam around!
I've seen her tear the Planets from the Sky!
Seen Lightning backward at her Bidding fly!
She calls! from blazing Pyres the Corse descends,
And, re-enliven'd, clasps his wondering Friends!
The Fiends she gathers with a magic Yell,
Then with Aspersions frights them back to Hell!
She wills,—glad Summer gilds the frozen Pole!
She wills,—in Summer wintery Tempests roll!
She knows, ('tis true,) Medea's awful Spell!
She knows to vanquish the fierce Guards of Hell!
To me she gave a Charm for Lovers meet,
(“Spit thrice, my Fair, and thrice the Charm repeat.”)
Us, in soft Dalliance should your Lord surprize;
By this impos'd on he'd renounce his Eyes!
But bless no Rival, or th'Affair is known;
This Incantation me befriends alone.
Nor stopp'd she here; but swore, if I'd agree,
By Charms or Herbs to set thy Lover free.
With dire Lustrations she began the Rite!
(Serenely shone the Planet of the Night)
The magic Gods she call'd with hellish sound,
A sable Sacrifice distain'd the Ground—
I stopp'd the Spell: I must not, cannot part:
I begg'd her Aid to gain a mutual Heart.
Lest angry Venus snatch your guilty Sight:
The Goddess bids her Votaries Joys to be
From every casual Interruption free:
With prying Steps alarm us not, retire,
Nor glare your Torches, nor our Names enquire:
Or if ye know, deny, by Heaven above,
Nor dare divulge the Privacies of Love.
From Blood and Seas vindictive Venus sprung,
And sure Destruction waits the blabbing Tongue!
31
Your Lord, (a Sorceress swore,) should give no Ear!
By potent Spells she cleaves the sacred Ground,
And shuddering Spectres wildly roam around!
I've seen her tear the Planets from the Sky!
Seen Lightning backward at her Bidding fly!
She calls! from blazing Pyres the Corse descends,
And, re-enliven'd, clasps his wondering Friends!
33
Then with Aspersions frights them back to Hell!
She wills,—glad Summer gilds the frozen Pole!
She wills,—in Summer wintery Tempests roll!
She knows, ('tis true,) Medea's awful Spell!
She knows to vanquish the fierce Guards of Hell!
To me she gave a Charm for Lovers meet,
(“Spit thrice, my Fair, and thrice the Charm repeat.”)
35
By this impos'd on he'd renounce his Eyes!
But bless no Rival, or th'Affair is known;
This Incantation me befriends alone.
Nor stopp'd she here; but swore, if I'd agree,
By Charms or Herbs to set thy Lover free.
With dire Lustrations she began the Rite!
(Serenely shone the Planet of the Night)
The magic Gods she call'd with hellish sound,
A sable Sacrifice distain'd the Ground—
I stopp'd the Spell: I must not, cannot part:
I begg'd her Aid to gain a mutual Heart.
| A Poetical Translation of the elegies of Tibullus | |