The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis paraphrastically translated out of Latine into English Hexameters by Abraham Fraunce |
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| 6. | The sixt Lamentation |
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 | The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis |  |
The sixt Lamentation
Since Phillis buriall, six times sprang light fro the mountaines,
Six times had Titan brought backe his coach fro the mainsea,
And flying horses, with salt waues all to bedashed,
With puft vp nosthrils great fire flames lustilie breathing:
When to the wild woods went careles, yet careful Amintas,
Leauing flock in fold, no creatures companie keeping
Beating breast with fist, with teares face foulie defacing,
Filling waies as he went, with such and so manie wailings
As were sometimes made by the sweet Rhodopeïan Orpheus,
When by the rocks of Thrace, by the fatall water of Hæbrus,
His sweet Euridice with most sweet voice he bewailed,
Euridice twice lost, by the cursed lawes of Auermus,
When sweet voice sweet harpe ioined most sweetlie together,
Made both birds and beasts and stocks and stones to be mourning.
Six times had Titan brought backe his coach fro the mainsea,
And flying horses, with salt waues all to bedashed,
With puft vp nosthrils great fire flames lustilie breathing:
When to the wild woods went careles, yet careful Amintas,
Leauing flock in fold, no creatures companie keeping
Beating breast with fist, with teares face foulie defacing,
Filling waies as he went, with such and so manie wailings
As were sometimes made by the sweet Rhodopeïan Orpheus,
When by the rocks of Thrace, by the fatall water of Hæbrus,
His sweet Euridice with most sweet voice he bewailed,
Euridice twice lost, by the cursed lawes of Auermus,
When sweet voice sweet harpe ioined most sweetlie together,
Made both birds and beasts and stocks and stones to be mourning.
Euerie beast in field wisheth darke night to be comming,
Morning starre by the birds in fields is sweetlie saluted,
As soone as she begins by the breake of daie to be peeping.
Euerie beast in field wisheth darke night to be comming,
Euning starre to the kids well fed coms hartelie welcom,
As soone as she begins by the nights aproch to be shining.
Neither daie nor night can please displeased Amintas;
All daie long doe I mourne, and all night long am I mourning,
No dai's free fro my plaints, and no night's free fro my plaining.
Morning starre by the birds in fields is sweetlie saluted,
As soone as she begins by the breake of daie to be peeping.
Euerie beast in field wisheth darke night to be comming,
Euning starre to the kids well fed coms hartelie welcom,
As soone as she begins by the nights aproch to be shining.
Neither daie nor night can please displeased Amintas;
All daie long doe I mourne, and all night long am I mourning,
No dai's free fro my plaints, and no night's free fro my plaining.
Who so thinks it straunge, that thus tormented Amintas,
Can thus long endure: who thinks it straunge, that Amintas,
Lius, yet takes no rest, but still lius, still to be dying;
This man knows not, alas, that loue is dailie triumphant,
This man knowes not, alas, that loue can worke manie wonders,
Loue can abide, no law, loue alwaies lous to be lawles,
Loue altreth nature, rules reason, maistreth Olimpus
Lawes, edicts, decrees; contemns Ioue mightilie thundring,
Ioue that rules and raigns, that with beck bendeth Olimpus.
Loue caus'de Hippolitus with bry'rs and thorns to be mangled,
For that he had foule loue of lusting Phædra refused.
Loue made Absyrtus with sisters hands to be murdred,
And in peeces torne, and here and there to be scattred.
Loue forc'd Pasiphae mans companie long to be loathing,
And for a white buls flesh, buls companie long to be lusting.
Loue and luring lookes of louelie Polixena caused
Greekish Achilles death, when he came to the Church to be wedded.
Loue made Alcides that great inuincible Heros,
Maister of all monsters, at length to be whipt by a mistres.
Loue drownd Læander swimming to the beawtiful Hero,
Vnto the towne Cestos, from towne of cursed Abydos.
Loue made loue, that's ruler of earth, and ruler of heauen,
Like to a seely shepheard and like to the fruitful Echidna,
Like to a fire, to a swan, to a showre, to a bull, to an Ægle,
Sometimes Amphytrion, sometimes Dyctinna resembling.
Can thus long endure: who thinks it straunge, that Amintas,
Lius, yet takes no rest, but still lius, still to be dying;
This man knows not, alas, that loue is dailie triumphant,
This man knowes not, alas, that loue can worke manie wonders,
Loue can abide, no law, loue alwaies lous to be lawles,
Loue altreth nature, rules reason, maistreth Olimpus
Lawes, edicts, decrees; contemns Ioue mightilie thundring,
Ioue that rules and raigns, that with beck bendeth Olimpus.
For that he had foule loue of lusting Phædra refused.
Loue made Absyrtus with sisters hands to be murdred,
And in peeces torne, and here and there to be scattred.
Loue forc'd Pasiphae mans companie long to be loathing,
And for a white buls flesh, buls companie long to be lusting.
Loue and luring lookes of louelie Polixena caused
Greekish Achilles death, when he came to the Church to be wedded.
Loue made Alcides that great inuincible Heros,
Maister of all monsters, at length to be whipt by a mistres.
Loue drownd Læander swimming to the beawtiful Hero,
Vnto the towne Cestos, from towne of cursed Abydos.
Loue made loue, that's ruler of earth, and ruler of heauen,
Like to a seely shepheard and like to the fruitful Echidna,
Like to a fire, to a swan, to a showre, to a bull, to an Ægle,
Sometimes Amphytrion, sometimes Dyctinna resembling.
But what neede I to shew this blindboyes surly behauiour,
Lewd pranks, false policies, slye shifts, and wily deuises,
Murdring minde, hardhart, dead hand, bent bow, readie arrowes?
No body knows better what bitter griefe is abounding
In loues lewd kingdome, then luckles louer Amintas.
Whether I go to the groues, or whether I climbe to the mountains,
Whether I walk by the banks, or whether I looke to the fountains,
Loue stil waits at an inch, and neuer leaus to be pinching.
Euerie thing complains, and aunswereth vnto my playning,
Euere thing giues cause and new increase to my mourning.
Lewd pranks, false policies, slye shifts, and wily deuises,
Murdring minde, hardhart, dead hand, bent bow, readie arrowes?
No body knows better what bitter griefe is abounding
In loues lewd kingdome, then luckles louer Amintas.
Whether I go to the groues, or whether I climbe to the mountains,
Whether I walk by the banks, or whether I looke to the fountains,
Loue stil waits at an inch, and neuer leaus to be pinching.
Euerie thing complains, and aunswereth vnto my playning,
Euere thing giues cause and new increase to my mourning.
If that I mourne in woods, these woods seeme al to be mourning,
And broadbrauncht Oake trees their vpright tops to be bowing.
If that I sigh or sobb, this pine tree straight by the shaking,
This peereles pine tree for company seems to bee pyning,
As though himselfe felt th' enduring pangs of Amintas.
And broadbrauncht Oake trees their vpright tops to be bowing.
If that I sigh or sobb, this pine tree straight by the shaking,
This peereles pine tree for company seems to bee pyning,
As though himselfe felt th' enduring pangs of Amintas.
And that byrd of Thrace, my woful companie keeping,
Cries, and cals for Itys, with monstrous villany murdred,
Murdred, alas, by the diu'lish crafts and means of a mother,
Boyled, alas, by the merciles hart and hand of a sister,
Eaten, alas, by the cursed mouth and teeth of a father.
And poore Turtle-doue her mates good company missing,
Sitts on a naked bough, and keeps mee company mourning.
When that I climbe to the ragged rocks, & creepe to the mountains,
Staying feeble knees with a staffe, for feare of a falling,
If that I then curse death, and raile on desteny fatal,
For marring that face, those cheeks, those yuory fingers
Of my sweete Phillis: Phillis coms back with an eccho,
Eccho returns Phillis fiue times fro the rocks, fro the mountains,
Euery beast which heares these woful plaints of Amintas,
Coms, and sitts him downe twixt leggs of woful Amintas:
Suffers back to be stroakt with staffe of mourneful Amintas:
Claps his tayle t'is belly beelowe, and moan's with Amintas:
As that good lionesse, which first was cur'd by a Romaine,
In Romain theater gaue life for life to the Romaine.
O if such pity were in desteny no pitie taking,
Phillis I should not misse, nor Phillis misse of Amintas.
If that I come to the banks and cast mine eyes to the waters,
Waters augmented with these my watery fountains,
Then these foulemouth'd froggs with iarring tunes do molest me,
So that I am compeld with bowing knees to be praying.
Praying vnto the nimphs in bowrs of water abyding,
That they would vouchsafe to receiue my carkas among them,
And fro the sight of man, fro the light of sunne to remoue it,
As that loued Hylas they sometimes friendly receaued.
But yet I wish in vaine, and nought can I get by my wishing,
And of my wishing these lewd winds make but a whistling.
So nothing contents poore mal-contented Amintas,
Clogd with an heape of cares, and clos'd in an hell ful of horror.
Cries, and cals for Itys, with monstrous villany murdred,
Murdred, alas, by the diu'lish crafts and means of a mother,
Boyled, alas, by the merciles hart and hand of a sister,
Eaten, alas, by the cursed mouth and teeth of a father.
And poore Turtle-doue her mates good company missing,
Sitts on a naked bough, and keeps mee company mourning.
Staying feeble knees with a staffe, for feare of a falling,
If that I then curse death, and raile on desteny fatal,
For marring that face, those cheeks, those yuory fingers
Of my sweete Phillis: Phillis coms back with an eccho,
Eccho returns Phillis fiue times fro the rocks, fro the mountains,
Euery beast which heares these woful plaints of Amintas,
Coms, and sitts him downe twixt leggs of woful Amintas:
Suffers back to be stroakt with staffe of mourneful Amintas:
Claps his tayle t'is belly beelowe, and moan's with Amintas:
As that good lionesse, which first was cur'd by a Romaine,
In Romain theater gaue life for life to the Romaine.
O if such pity were in desteny no pitie taking,
Phillis I should not misse, nor Phillis misse of Amintas.
If that I come to the banks and cast mine eyes to the waters,
Waters augmented with these my watery fountains,
Then these foulemouth'd froggs with iarring tunes do molest me,
So that I am compeld with bowing knees to be praying.
Praying vnto the nimphs in bowrs of water abyding,
That they would vouchsafe to receiue my carkas among them,
And fro the sight of man, fro the light of sunne to remoue it,
As that loued Hylas they sometimes friendly receaued.
But yet I wish in vaine, and nought can I get by my wishing,
And of my wishing these lewd winds make but a whistling.
So nothing contents poore mal-contented Amintas,
Clogd with an heape of cares, and clos'd in an hell ful of horror.
Then to his homely Cabin, by the moone light hasted Amintas.
| The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis | |