University of Virginia Library

IDYLLIUM I. ON THE DEATH OF ADONIS.

The Death of fair Adonis I deplore;
The lovely Youth Adonis is no more:
The cruel Fates have cut his vital Thread,
And all the Loves lament Adonis dead.
Ah Venus! never more in Purple rest,
For mournful Sable change thy flow'ry vest;
Thy beauteous Bosom beat, thy Loss deplore
Aloud with Sighs, Adonis is no more!
For the lov'd Youth these copious Tears I shed,
And all the Cupids mourn Adonis dead.
Methinks I see him on the Mountain lie,
The Boar's keen Tusk has pierc'd his tender Thigh;
Weltering he lies, expiring on the Ground,
And near him Venus all in Sorrow drown'd;
I see the crimson Flood fast trickling slow
Down his white Skin that vyes with winter Snow;
I see the Lustre of his Eyes decay,
And on his Lips the Roses fade away:
Yet who can Venus from those Lips divide,
Though their sweet Kisses with Adonis died?
To Venus sweet, ev'n now his Breath is fled,
Yet all her Kisses cannot warm the dead.
The Fate of fair Adonis I deplore;
The Loves lament, Adonis is no more!
A deep wide Wound is in his Thigh imprest,
But Venus bears a deeper in her Breast.
His Beagles round a mournful Howling keep;
And all the Dryads of the Mountains weep:
But, Venus, quite abandon'd to Despair,
Her Locks dishevell'd, and her Feet all bare,
Flies through the Thorny Brake, the Bryary Wood,
And stains the Thickets with her sacred Blood:
With piercing Cries Adonis she bewails,
Her darling Youth, along the winding Vales;
While the Blood, starting from his wounded Thigh,
Streams on his Breast, and leaves a crimson Dye.
Ah me! what Tears fair Cytherea shed,
And how the Loves deplor'd Adonis dead!
The Queen of Love, no longer now a Bride,
Has lost her Beauty since Adonis died;
Though bright the Radiance of her Charms before,
Her Lover and her Beauty are no more!
The Mountains mourn, the waving Woods bewail,
And Rivers roll lamenting through the Vale;
The silver Springs descend in Streams of Woe
Down the high Hills, and murmur as they flow:
And every Flower in drooping Grief appears
Depress'd and languishingly drown'd in Tears:
While Venus o'er the Hills and Valleys flies,
And, “Ah! Adonis is no more.” she cries.
Along the Hills, and Vales, and vocal Shore,
Echo repeats, “Adonis is no more.”
Who could unmov'd these piteous Wailings hear,
Or view the love-lorn Queen without a Tear?
Soon as she saw him wounded on the Plain,
His Thigh discolour'd with the crimson Stain,
Sighing she said, and clasp'd him as he lay,
“O stay, dear hapless Youth! for Venus stay!
“Our Breasts once more let close Embraces join,
“And let me press my glowing Lips to thine.
“Raise, lov'd Adonis, raise thy drooping Head,
“And kiss me ere thy parting Breath be fled,
“The last fond Token of Affection give,
“O! kiss thy Venus, while the Kisses live;
“Till in my Breast I draw thy lingering Breath,
“And with my Lips imbibe thy Love in Death:
“This farewell Kiss, which sorrowing thus I take,
“I'll keep for ever for Adonis' sake.
“Thee to the Shades the Fates untimely bring
“Before the drear, inexorable King;
“Yet still I live unhappy and forlorn;
“How hard my Lot to be a Goddess born!
“Take, cruel Proserpine, my lovely Boy,
“Since all that's form'd for Beauty, or for Joy,
“Descends to thee, while I indulge my Grief,
“By fruitless Tears soliciting Relief.
“Thou dy'st, Adonis, and thy Fate I weep,
“Thy Love now leaves me, like a Dream in Sleep,
“Leaves me bereav'd, no more a blooming Bride,
“With unavailing Cupids at my Side.
“With thee my Zone, which coldest Hearts could warm,
“Lost every Grace, and all its Power to charm.
“Why didst thou urge the Chace, and rashly dare
“T'encounter Beasts, thyself so wond'rous fair!”
Thus Venus mourn'd, and Tears incessant shed,
And all the Loves bewail'd Adonis dead;
Sighing they cry'd, “Ah! wretched Queen, deplore
“Thy Joys all fled, Adonis is no more.”
As many Drops of Blood, as from the Wound
Of fair Adonis trickled on the Ground,
So many Tears she shed in copious Showers:
Both Tears and Drops of Blood were turn'd to Flow'rs.
From these in crimson Beauty sprung the Rose,
Cærulean-bright Anemonies from those.
The Death of fair Adonis I deplore,
The lovely Youth Adonis is no more.
No longer in lone Woods lament the dead,
O Queen of Love! behold the stately Bed,
On which Adonis, now depriv'd of Breath,
Seems sunk in Slumbers, beauteous ev'n in Death.
Dress him, fair Goddess, in the softest Vest,
In which he oft with thee dissolv'd to Rest;
On golden Pillow be his Head reclin'd,
And let past Joys be imag'd in thy Mind.
Though Death the Beauty of his Bloom devours,
Crown him with Chaplets of the fairest Flowers;
Alas! the Flowers have lost their gaudy Pride,
With him they flourish'd, and with him they died.
With odorous Myrtle deck his drooping Head,
And o'er his Limbs the sweetest Essence shed:
Ah! rather perish every rich Perfume,
The sweet Adonis perish'd in his Bloom.
Clad in a purple Robe Adonis lies;
Surrounding Cupids heave their Breasts with Sighs,
Their Locks they shear, Excess of Grief to show,
They spurn the Quiver, and they break the Bow.
Some loose his Sandals with officious Care,
Some in capacious golden Vessels bear
The cleansing Water from the crystal Springs;
This bathes his Wound, that fans him with his Wings.
For Venus' sake the pitying Cupids shed
A Shower of Tears, and mourn Adonis dead.
Already has the Nuptial God, dismay'd,
Quench'd his bright Torch, for all his Garlands fade.
No more are joyful Hymenæals sung,
But Notes of Sorrow dwell on ev'ry Tongue;
While all around the general Grief partake
For lov'd Adonis, and for Hymen's sake.
With loud Laments the Graces all deplore,
And cry, ‘the fair Adonis is no more.’
The Muses, wailing the wild Woods among,
Strive to recall him with harmonious Song:
Alas! no Sounds of Harmony he hears,
For cruel Proserpine has clos'd his Ears.
Cease, Venus, cease, thy soft Complaints forbear,
Reserve thy Sorrows for the mournful Year.