The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis paraphrastically translated out of Latine into English Hexameters by Abraham Fraunce |
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| 7. | The seuenth Lamentation. |
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 | The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis |  |
The seuenth Lamentation.
Sixe nights now were past, and seu'nth day hastened onward,
When with fretting cares, al spent and wasted Amintas,
Went to the wood, stark wood, with great extremitie weeping,
And to the dul deafe winds his late lost freshly bewayling.
When with fretting cares, al spent and wasted Amintas,
Went to the wood, stark wood, with great extremitie weeping,
And to the dul deafe winds his late lost freshly bewayling.
O how much this Amintas is altred from that Amintas,
VVhich was wont to be capten of euery company rurall?
Nothing nimble I am with willowe staffe to be threshing,
Nor with toothed rake round heycocks for to be making.
Nothing nimble I am, my braunched vines to be cutting,
Nor with sharpe edg'd sucke my fruitful soile to be plowing.
Nothing nimble I am my scabbed sheepe to be curing,
Nor with leaping lads, with tripping trulls to be daunsing.
Nothing nimble I am sweete rimes and songs to be making,
Nor sweete songs and rymes on pleasant pype to be playing.
My sense is dulled, my strength extreamely decayed,
Since that faire Phillis my loue did leaue me for euer,
VVho was worthy to liue, and worthy to loue me for euer.
VVhich was wont to be capten of euery company rurall?
Nothing nimble I am with willowe staffe to be threshing,
Nor with toothed rake round heycocks for to be making.
Nothing nimble I am, my braunched vines to be cutting,
Nor with sharpe edg'd sucke my fruitful soile to be plowing.
Nothing nimble I am my scabbed sheepe to be curing,
Nor with leaping lads, with tripping trulls to be daunsing.
Nothing nimble I am sweete rimes and songs to be making,
Nor sweete songs and rymes on pleasant pype to be playing.
My sense is dulled, my strength extreamely decayed,
Since that faire Phillis my loue did leaue me for euer,
VVho was worthy to liue, and worthy to loue me for euer.
Phillis, faire Phillis, thou dearling deare of Amintas,
What lasse durst compare with dearling deare of Amintas,
For witt, for learning, for face, for seemely behauiour?
My sweete lasse Phillis was no more like to the gray gowns,
And countrey milkemaids, then nightingale to the lapwing,
Rose to the greene willow, or siluer swan to the swallow.
Phillis amidst faire maids did fairemaids company countnance,
As ripe corne doth fields, as clustred grapes do the vinetrees.
As stout bulls do the droues, as bayleaus beautifie gardens.
What lasse durst compare with dearling deare of Amintas,
For witt, for learning, for face, for seemely behauiour?
My sweete lasse Phillis was no more like to the gray gowns,
And countrey milkemaids, then nightingale to the lapwing,
Rose to the greene willow, or siluer swan to the swallow.
Phillis amidst faire maids did fairemaids company countnance,
As ripe corne doth fields, as clustred grapes do the vinetrees.
As stout bulls do the droues, as bayleaus beautifie gardens.
Phillis name and fame, which is yet freshly remembred,
Passed abroad so farre, so farre surpast Amarillis,
As that it yrkt and grieu'd disdainful prowd Amaryllis,
Who stil thought her selfe for beauties praise to be peereles,
But let her hartful of hate stil pine, let her eyes ful of enuy
Stil be resolu'd in teares, Phillis surmounts Amaryllis,
Phillis dead is aliue, and so shal liue to the worlds end,
Phillis praise shal scape from death and graue to the worlds end.
But what auails it alas dead Phillis now to be praysing?
Phillis, alas, is dead, tis too late now to be praysing,
And to renew old thoughts and fond conceipts by my praising.
Better it is to be low and neuer climbe to a kingdome,
Then fro the scepter againe to be tumbled downe to the dunghil.
For what auails it now that Phillis lulled Amintas,
Lull'd him a sleepe in her arms and slept her selfe with Amintas,
Vnder a cooling shade from scorching beams to defend vs,
Which sight made Æglon and Mopsus teeth to be watrie?
Or what auails it now t'haue gathered iointly together
Fragrant hearbs and flowres by the mantled fields, by the meddows,
Daffadil, and Endiue, with mourning flowre Hyacinthus,
Thyme, Casia, Violets, Lillies, and sweete prety roses
For nymphs and woodgods gay garlands duely preparing?
Or what auails it now t'haue pluckt at strawbery brambles,
Blackebery briers t'haue spoild, t'haue bated mulbery braunches,
With such countrie fruits our baskets heauily loading?
Passed abroad so farre, so farre surpast Amarillis,
As that it yrkt and grieu'd disdainful prowd Amaryllis,
Who stil thought her selfe for beauties praise to be peereles,
But let her hartful of hate stil pine, let her eyes ful of enuy
Stil be resolu'd in teares, Phillis surmounts Amaryllis,
Phillis dead is aliue, and so shal liue to the worlds end,
But what auails it alas dead Phillis now to be praysing?
Phillis, alas, is dead, tis too late now to be praysing,
And to renew old thoughts and fond conceipts by my praising.
Better it is to be low and neuer climbe to a kingdome,
Then fro the scepter againe to be tumbled downe to the dunghil.
For what auails it now that Phillis lulled Amintas,
Lull'd him a sleepe in her arms and slept her selfe with Amintas,
Vnder a cooling shade from scorching beams to defend vs,
Which sight made Æglon and Mopsus teeth to be watrie?
Or what auails it now t'haue gathered iointly together
Fragrant hearbs and flowres by the mantled fields, by the meddows,
Daffadil, and Endiue, with mourning flowre Hyacinthus,
Thyme, Casia, Violets, Lillies, and sweete prety roses
For nymphs and woodgods gay garlands duely preparing?
Or what auails it now t'haue pluckt at strawbery brambles,
Blackebery briers t'haue spoild, t'haue bated mulbery braunches,
With such countrie fruits our baskets heauily loading?
Or what auails it now t'haue giu'n her so many kisses,
And t'haue taken againe in like sort so many kisses?
And t'haue taken againe in like sort so many kisses?
Or what auails it now t'haue drawn our talk to the morning,
Or t'haue made our names with box tree barke to be growing,
Names and vowes which nought but death could cause to be brokē?
Wofull wretch that I am, Phillis forsaks me for all this,
And forsaken of her death, hath possest me for all this.
And yet I am not sick (vnles that loue be a sicknes)
But death coms creeping, and lingring life is a flytting,
And this differring of death is worse then a dying.
Lingring fire by degrees hath spent and wasted Amintas,
As Meleager of old, whose life was left in a firebrand,
Firebrand cast to the fire by the murdring hands of a mother,
When fatall firebrand burning did burne Meleager.
Euery day do I weepe, and euery houre am I wayling,
Euery houre and day dismal to the wretched Amintas,
Yea much more wretched, then that poore seely Prometheus,
Who for his aspyring, for stealing fire from Olympus,
Was by the Gods decrees fast bound with chains to the mountaine
Caucasus, huge and cold, where hee's compelled an Eagle,
Eagle stil feeding, with his owne heart still to be feeding.
Or t'haue made our names with box tree barke to be growing,
Names and vowes which nought but death could cause to be brokē?
Wofull wretch that I am, Phillis forsaks me for all this,
And forsaken of her death, hath possest me for all this.
And yet I am not sick (vnles that loue be a sicknes)
But death coms creeping, and lingring life is a flytting,
And this differring of death is worse then a dying.
Lingring fire by degrees hath spent and wasted Amintas,
As Meleager of old, whose life was left in a firebrand,
Firebrand cast to the fire by the murdring hands of a mother,
When fatall firebrand burning did burne Meleager.
Euery day do I weepe, and euery houre am I wayling,
Euery houre and day dismal to the wretched Amintas,
Yea much more wretched, then that poore seely Prometheus,
Who for his aspyring, for stealing fire from Olympus,
Was by the Gods decrees fast bound with chains to the mountaine
Caucasus, huge and cold, where hee's compelled an Eagle,
O Pan, ô Fauni, that loue with maids to bee liuely,
Leaue your pipes, your songs, your daunce, leaue off to be liuely,
Ioyne your teares with Amintas teares, and mourne with Amintas,
And mourne for Phillis, for Phillis leaueth Amintas.
Phillis for your sake fine wafers duely prepared,
Phillis pleasd your eyes whilst Phillis daintily daunced,
Phillis amidst faire maids was deemed stil to be fayrest,
And gaue grace to the rest with her eyes and comely behauiour,
As faire Laurel trees be adornd with beautiful iuye,
As fine golde is adornd by the shining light of a iasper.
Since death of Phillis no ioyes enioyeth Amintas,
Euery good thing's gone: Phillis tooke euery good thing,
Countrey soile laments and countrey men be a weeping.
Leaue your pipes, your songs, your daunce, leaue off to be liuely,
Ioyne your teares with Amintas teares, and mourne with Amintas,
And mourne for Phillis, for Phillis leaueth Amintas.
Phillis for your sake fine wafers duely prepared,
Phillis pleasd your eyes whilst Phillis daintily daunced,
Phillis amidst faire maids was deemed stil to be fayrest,
And gaue grace to the rest with her eyes and comely behauiour,
As faire Laurel trees be adornd with beautiful iuye,
As fine golde is adornd by the shining light of a iasper.
Since death of Phillis no ioyes enioyeth Amintas,
Euery good thing's gone: Phillis tooke euery good thing,
Countrey soile laments and countrey men be a weeping.
And thou garden greene now powre forth plaints with Amintas,
Phillis thy sweet banks and bedds did water at eu'ning,
Phillis amidst thy flowres alwayes wast wont to be walking,
But now no walking, but now no water at euning,
Now best flowre is dead, now Phillis gone fro the garden.
And you Christall springs with streames of siluer abounding,
Where faire Phillis saw faire Phillis face to be shyning,
Powre forth fludds of teares from those your watery fountains,
From those your fountalns with greene mos all to be smeared:
Phillis wil no more see Phillis sitt by the fountains,
Phillis wil no more her lipps apply to the fountains,
Lippes to be ioyn'd to the lipps of Ioue that ruleth Olympus.
Phillis thy sweet banks and bedds did water at eu'ning,
Phillis amidst thy flowres alwayes wast wont to be walking,
But now no walking, but now no water at euning,
Now best flowre is dead, now Phillis gone fro the garden.
And you Christall springs with streames of siluer abounding,
Where faire Phillis saw faire Phillis face to be shyning,
Powre forth fludds of teares from those your watery fountains,
From those your fountalns with greene mos all to be smeared:
Phillis wil no more see Phillis sitt by the fountains,
Phillis wil no more her lipps apply to the fountains,
Lippes to be ioyn'd to the lipps of Ioue that ruleth Olympus.
And you darkesome dales, and woods aye wont to be silent,
Where she amidst the shepheards, and toiling boysterus heard men,
Her milkwhite shee goats many times was wont to be feeding,
Lament and mourne for this nymphs vntimely departure.
Where she amidst the shepheards, and toiling boysterus heard men,
Her milkwhite shee goats many times was wont to be feeding,
Lament and mourne for this nymphs vntimely departure.
But Pan, and Fauni, but garden greene of Amintas,
But you springs, and dales, and woods aye wont to be silent,
Leaue of your mourning, Ile giue you leaue to be silent,
Leaue to be silent stil, giue you me leaue to bee mourning,
Leaue to be mourning stil, let this most heauie departure,
This death of Phillis bring wished death to Amintas.
But you springs, and dales, and woods aye wont to be silent,
Leaue of your mourning, Ile giue you leaue to be silent,
Leaue to be silent stil, giue you me leaue to bee mourning,
Leaue to be mourning stil, let this most heauie departure,
This death of Phillis bring wished death to Amintas.
Here did he pause for a while, and home at night he returned.
| The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis | |