Amours

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 2,762 sections

1.13.70
Who freely, where she loves, her favours does bestow.
1.13.71
Jove, when he rob'd Amphitryon of his joy,
1.13.72
Did two whole nights in am'rous thefts employ;
1.13.73
Unknown when in Alcmena's arms he lay,
1.13.74
The night he doubles and suspends the day."
1.13.75
The morning heard my railing, and for shame
1.13.76
Blush'd that by force she must disturb my flame;
1.13.77
Bright Phoebus rushing forth, the glorious day
1.13.78
Drove the dear shades, that hid our joys, away.
1.14.1
I us'd to warn you, not with so much care,
1.14.2
And waste of ointment, to adorn your hair:
1.14.3
That warning now is useless, you have none,
1.14.4
And with your hair that trouble too is gone.
1.14.5
Where are the silken tresses, which adown
1.14.6
Your shoulders hung? A web was never spun
1.14.7
So fine, but, ah! those flowing curls are gone.
1.14.8
Ah fatal art! ah fatal care, and pains!
1.14.9
That robb'd me of the dearest of my chains.
1.14.10
Nor of a black, nor of a golden hue
1.14.11
They were, but of a dye between the two.
1.14.12
How could you hurt, or poison with perfume,
1.14.13
Those curls that were so easy to the comb?
1.14.14
That to no pains expos'd you, when you set
1.14.15
Their shining tresses for young hearts a net?
1.14.16
That ne'er provok'd you with your maids to war,
1.14.17
For hurting you with your entangled hair?
1.14.18
You ne'er were urg'd to some indecent fray,
1.14.19
Nor in a fury snatch'd the comb away.
1.14.20
The teeth ne'er touch'd you, and her constant care,
1.14.21
Without ill arts, would have preserv'd your hair.
1.14.22
Behind your chair I oft have seen her stand,
1.14.23
And comb and curl it with a gentle hand:
1.14.24
Oft have I seen it on your shoulders play
1.14.25
Uncomb'd, as on your purple bed you lay.
1.14.26
Your artless tresses with more charms appear,
1.14.27
Than when adorn'd with all your cost and care.
1.14.28
When on the grass the Thracian nymphs recline,
1.14.29
Of Bacchus full, and weary of their wine,
1.14.30
Less lovely are their locks, than yours, less fair
1.14.31
The ringlets of their soft dishevell'd hair:
1.14.32
Softer was thine, like fleecy down it felt,
1.14.33
And to the finger did as freely yield,
1.14.34
How didst thou torture it, the curls to turn,
1.14.35
Now with hot irons at thy toilet burn?
1.14.36
This rack, with what obedience did it bear?
1.14.37
"Ah spare," I cried, "thy patient tresses spare!
1.14.38
To hurt them is a sin: this needless toil
1.14.39
Forbear, and do not, what adorns thee, spoil.
1.14.40
'Tis now too late to give your labour o'er,
1.14.41
Those tortur'd ringlets are, alas ! no more.
1.14.42
Ah, cease the cruel thought, and cease to pass
1.14.43
Such irksome minutes at your faithful glass !
1.14.44
In vain thou seek'st thy silken locks to find;
1.14.45
Banish the dear remembrance from thy mind.
1.14.46
No weeds destroy'd them with their pois'nous juice,
1.14.47
Nor canst thou witches' magic charms accuse,
1.14.48
Nor rival's rage, nor dire enchantment blame,
1.14.49
Nor envy's blasting tongue, nor fever's flame.
1.14.50
The mischief by thy own fair hands was wrought;
1.14.51
Nor dost thou suffer for another's fault.
1.14.52
How oft I bade thee, but in vain, beware
1.14.53
The venom'd essence, that destroy'd thy hair?
1.14.54
Now with new arts thou shalt thy pride amuse,
1.14.55
And curls, of German captives borrow'd, use.
1.14.56
Drusus to Rome their vanquish'd nation sends
1.14.57
And the fair slave to thee her tresses lends.
1.14.58
With alien locks thou wilt thy head adorn,
1.14.59
And conquests gain'd by foreign beauties scorn.
1.14.60
How wilt thou blush, with other charms to please,
1.14.61
And cry, "How fairer were my locks than these !"
1.14.62
By heav'ns, to heart she takes her head's disgrace,
1.14.63
She weeps, and covers with her hands her face.
1.14.64
She weeps, as in her lap her locks she views;
1.14.65
What woman would not weep, such locks to lose!
1.14.66
Ah, that they still did on her shoulders flow,
1.14.67
Ah, that they now, where once they grew, did grow!
1.14.68
Take courage, fair Corinna, never fear,
1.14.69
Thou shalt not long these borrow'd tresses wear:
1.14.70
Time for your beauty shall this loss repair
1.14.71
And you again shall charm with native hair.
1.15.1
Poem 15, in which the poet boasts his work will outlive him, is not here translated.
2.1.1
Poem 1, in which the poet introduces his second book, is not here translated.
2.2.1
Poem 2, addressed to Bagoe, is not here translated.
2.3.1
How hard's my hap, to have my fair consign'd
2.3.2
To one, who is imperfect in his kind;
2.3.3
To one, who ne'er can have the pow'r to prove
2.3.4
As woman, or as man, the mutual joys of love!
2.3.5
Who practis'd first on boys the cutting steel,
2.3.6
Deserv'd himself the fatal wound to feel.
2.3.7
Couldst thou be capable of Cupid's fires,
2.3.8
Or the least sensible of love's desires,
2.3.9
Some pity thou wouldst have on me, and grant
2.3.10
Thy aid, for what thou canst not know I want.
2.3.11
Ill suits thee now, the warrior's lance to wield,
2.3.12
To mount the manag'd horse, or lift the brazen shield:
2.3.13
Arms are for men, and not for such as thee,
2.3.14
Who shouldst from ev'ry manly thought be free.
2.3.15
No banner shouldst thou, but thy lady's bear,
2.3.16
And have no other leader but the fair.
2.3.17
Much it behoves thee then to strive to gain

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0959.phi001.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.