The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis paraphrastically translated out of Latine into English Hexameters by Abraham Fraunce |
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| 4. | The fourth Lamentation. |
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 | The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis |  |
The fourth Lamentation.
Thrise had shining sunne withdrawn his face fro the heauens,
And earth all darkned, since Phillis friendlie departed,
And when fourth day came, then againe true louer Amintas,
Mindful of old loue stil, tooke no ioy flock to be feeding,
But stil alone wandring, through fields, to the banks, to the waters,
Leaned his head on bank, and eyes cast down to the waters,
VVith teares incessant his cheeks full waterie washing.
And earth all darkned, since Phillis friendlie departed,
And when fourth day came, then againe true louer Amintas,
Mindful of old loue stil, tooke no ioy flock to be feeding,
But stil alone wandring, through fields, to the banks, to the waters,
Leaned his head on bank, and eyes cast down to the waters,
VVith teares incessant his cheeks full waterie washing.
VVhat now resteth, alas, to be doone of woful Amintas?
No sence, no knowledge, in these vnsensible ashes,
In graue no feeling, in death ther's no pitie taking.
No sence, no knowledge, in these vnsensible ashes,
In graue no feeling, in death ther's no pitie taking.
Phillis makes but a iest, dead Phillis mocketh Amintas.
Phillis breaks her faith, and plaies with Pluto the black prince,
Pluto the black prince now enioies those ioies of Amintas,
Phillis breaks her faith, and plaies with Pluto the black prince,
Pluto the black prince now enioies those ioies of Amintas,
Speak on, good sweet nymphs, if you can tell anie tidings,
VVhether among those trulls that wait on Queene of Auernus,
My Queene and Empres, my Phillis chaunce to be spinning?
Speake, for I feare, for I feare, shee'l neuer come to Amintas,
VVhether among those trulls that wait on Queene of Auernus,
My Queene and Empres, my Phillis chaunce to be spinning?
Speake, for I feare, for I feare, shee'l neuer come to Amintas,
And thou Syluanus, Siluanus good to the mountains,
And flocks on mountains, ô helpe most helples Amintas,
Helpe by thy selfe, by thy friends, thou god cause gods to be helping,
For my religion, for my deuotion help me,
For thine own boyes sake, for loue of sweet Cyparissus,
Either let Phillis be returned backe to Amintas,
Or let Amintas dye, that death my succor Amintas.
And flocks on mountains, ô helpe most helples Amintas,
Helpe by thy selfe, by thy friends, thou god cause gods to be helping,
For my religion, for my deuotion help me,
For thine own boyes sake, for loue of sweet Cyparissus,
Either let Phillis be returned backe to Amintas,
Or let Amintas dye, that death my succor Amintas.
And thou naughtie Cupid, yet say on, giue me thy counsail,
VVhat shal I do, shal I dye? shal Amintas murder Amintas?
Dye then Amintas: death will bring Phillis to Amintas.
O hard harted loue, thou seest what I beare, what I suffer,
Hart with flames, and eyes with mournful water abounding,
Head with cares possest, and soule ful of horrible anguish,
This thou seest, and sure I do know, it greeus thee to see this,
Though they call thee tyrant, though so thou iustlie be called,
Though thy nature passe Busiris beastlie behauiour:
For what makes me to mourne, may cause to: yeeld to my mourning:
One rude rock, one wind, & one tempestuus outrage
Batters, breaks, and beats thy ship, my ship to the quicksands.
Our harms are equal, thy shipwrack like to my shipwrack,
Loue did loue Phillis, Phillis was loud of Amintas,
Phillis loues dearling, Phillis dearling of Amintas,
Dearling, crowne, garland, hope, ioy, wealth, health of Amintas,
And what more shal I say? for I want words fit for Amintas.
VVhat shal I do, shal I dye? shal Amintas murder Amintas?
Dye then Amintas: death will bring Phillis to Amintas.
O hard harted loue, thou seest what I beare, what I suffer,
Hart with flames, and eyes with mournful water abounding,
Head with cares possest, and soule ful of horrible anguish,
This thou seest, and sure I do know, it greeus thee to see this,
Though they call thee tyrant, though so thou iustlie be called,
For what makes me to mourne, may cause to: yeeld to my mourning:
One rude rock, one wind, & one tempestuus outrage
Batters, breaks, and beats thy ship, my ship to the quicksands.
Our harms are equal, thy shipwrack like to my shipwrack,
Loue did loue Phillis, Phillis was loud of Amintas,
Phillis loues dearling, Phillis dearling of Amintas,
Dearling, crowne, garland, hope, ioy, wealth, health of Amintas,
And what more shal I say? for I want words fit for Amintas.
And thou churlish ground, now cease anie more to be fruitful,
Cease to be deckt with flowres, and all in greene to be mantled,
Thy flowre is withered, my garland latlie decaied,
Phillis thine and mine with death vntimelie departed,
VVhose sweet corps thou bar'st, whose footsteps in thee be printed,
And whose face thou didst admire for beawtie renowmed,
Belch out roaring blasts with gaping iawes, to the heauens,
That those roaring blasts may scoure by the skyes, by the heauens,
And foule struggling storms cast down fro the clouds, fro the heauēs
For such foule weather will best agree with a mourner.
Howle and mourne thou earth, and roare with an horrible outcrie,
Howle as then thou didst, when mountains were to the mountains
Put, by thy cursed brood, to be clyming vp to Olympus,
VVhen great flakes of fire came flashing down fro the heauens,
VVhen thy crawling sons came tumbling down from Olympus.
Cease to be deckt with flowres, and all in greene to be mantled,
Thy flowre is withered, my garland latlie decaied,
Phillis thine and mine with death vntimelie departed,
VVhose sweet corps thou bar'st, whose footsteps in thee be printed,
And whose face thou didst admire for beawtie renowmed,
Belch out roaring blasts with gaping iawes, to the heauens,
That those roaring blasts may scoure by the skyes, by the heauens,
And foule struggling storms cast down fro the clouds, fro the heauēs
For such foule weather will best agree with a mourner.
Howle and mourne thou earth, and roare with an horrible outcrie,
Howle as then thou didst, when mountains were to the mountains
Put, by thy cursed brood, to be clyming vp to Olympus,
VVhen great flakes of fire came flashing down fro the heauens,
VVhen thy crawling sons came tumbling down from Olympus.
Howle as ladie Ceres did then, when prince of Auernus
Stole her daughter away from fields that ioyned on Ætna,
Vnto the dungeons dark, and dens of his hellish abiding.
Thou ground, forgetful what was by dutie required,
Shouldst send, vnbidden, with Phills, teares to Auernus.
Her blessed burden thou wast vnworthie to carrie,
Therefore tender girle in flowring age she departed,
O frowning, fortune, ô stars vnluckilie shining,
O cursed birth day of quite forsaken Amintas.
Phillis, alas, is changd Phillis conuerted in ashes,
VVhose pretie lips, necke, eyes, and haire so sweetlie beseeming,
Purple, snow, and fire, and gold wire seemd to resemble,
Stole her daughter away from fields that ioyned on Ætna,
Vnto the dungeons dark, and dens of his hellish abiding.
Thou ground, forgetful what was by dutie required,
Shouldst send, vnbidden, with Phills, teares to Auernus.
Her blessed burden thou wast vnworthie to carrie,
Therefore tender girle in flowring age she departed,
O frowning, fortune, ô stars vnluckilie shining,
O cursed birth day of quite forsaken Amintas.
Phillis, alas, is changd Phillis conuerted in ashes,
VVhose pretie lips, necke, eyes, and haire so sweetlie beseeming,
Purple, snow, and fire, and gold wire seemd to resemble,
Tithonus faire wife coms alwaies home by the sunset,
Euerie night coms home to that old Tithonus her husband,
Sweete Cephalus leauing, and graybeard hartily kissing:
But my Phillis, alas, is gone as farre as Auernus,
Gone too farre to returne, and this tormenteth Amyntas.
White is blacke and sweete is sowre to the sence of Amyntas,
Night and day doe I weepe, and make ground moist by my weeping,
Mourne, lament, and howle, and powre forth plaints to the heauens,
So do the Nightingales in bushes thorny remayning
Sing many dolefull notes and tunes, sweet harmony making,
Their yong ones mourning, their yong ones daily bewailing.
Euerie night coms home to that old Tithonus her husband,
But my Phillis, alas, is gone as farre as Auernus,
Gone too farre to returne, and this tormenteth Amyntas.
White is blacke and sweete is sowre to the sence of Amyntas,
Night and day doe I weepe, and make ground moist by my weeping,
Mourne, lament, and howle, and powre forth plaints to the heauens,
So do the Nightingales in bushes thorny remayning
Sing many dolefull notes and tunes, sweet harmony making,
Their yong ones mourning, their yong ones daily bewailing.
Phillis, alas, is gone, shee'le neuer come to Amyntas,
Neuer againe come backe, for death and destiny stay her,
Stay her among those groues, and darksome dens of Auernus,
Wher's no path to returne, no starting hole to be scaping,
Desteny, death, and Hell, and howling hydeus helhound,
Loathsome streams of stix, that ninetimes compas Auernus,
Stay her amongst those hags in dungeons ougly for euer.
Only the name and fame, and her most happy remembrance
Still shal abide, shal liue, shal florish freely for euer.
Thus did Amyntas speake, and then came feyntily homeward.
Neuer againe come backe, for death and destiny stay her,
Stay her among those groues, and darksome dens of Auernus,
Wher's no path to returne, no starting hole to be scaping,
Desteny, death, and Hell, and howling hydeus helhound,
Loathsome streams of stix, that ninetimes compas Auernus,
Stay her amongst those hags in dungeons ougly for euer.
Only the name and fame, and her most happy remembrance
Still shal abide, shal liue, shal florish freely for euer.
Thus did Amyntas speake, and then came feyntily homeward.
| The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis | |