Englished Thus Paraphrastikos

The Spring was come, and all the fields growne fine;
My flame Lycoris like young Proserpine
Went forth to gather flowers, bettring their sent
They tooke more sweetnesse from her, then they lent.
Now loaden with her harvest, and o'repress't
With her sweete toyle, she laid her downe to rest.
Lyllies did strow her couch, and proud were growne
To beare a whitnesse purer then their owne.
Roses fell downe soft pillowes to her head,
And blusht themselves into a deeper red
To emulate her cheekes: Flora did set
Her maids to worke to weave the Violet
Into a purple rugge, to shield the faire
Lycoris from the malice of the Ayre.
When loe a snake hid in the neighbour bowres,
(Ah who could think treason should lurke in flowers?)
Shootes forth her checker'd skin, and gently creepes
Ore my Lycoris , that as gently sleepes.
I saw it, and a sodaine frost possest
My frighted soule in my then troubled brest.
What feares appear'd not to my mind and me?
Thou first wert call'd bemoan'd Euridice ;
By serpents envy forced to expire,
From Orpheus rapt, and his death conquering lyre.
But when I found he wore a guiltlesse sting,
And more of love did then of treason bring:
How quickly could my former feare depart;
And to a greater leave my jealous heart!
For the smooth Viper every member scands,
Africk he loaths now, and the barren sands
That nurst him, wondring at the glorious sight
Of thighes and belly, and her brests more white
Then their owne milke: Ah might I still (quoth he)
Crawl in such fields, 'twixt two such mountaines be!
There me he spied, and fearing to be seen,
Shrowds to her neck, thinking 't had Lyllies been.
But viewing her bright cheekes, he soone did crye
Under you Roses shall I safer lye.
Thence did her forehead with full veines appeare,
Good heaven (quoth he) what violets growe here
On this cleare Promontory? Hence he slides
Up to her lockes, and through her tresses glides,
Her yellow tresses; dazel'd to behold
A glistring grove, an intire wood of Gold.
Th' Hesperian wood he thinkes he now hath seene,
That thought, but now, they had an Orchard beene;
For leaves and boughs the Archimenian vine,
The Dodon Oak and the Thessalian Pine
Must yeeld to these, no trees so bright as they,
Nor Paphian Mirtles, nor Peniian bay!
Joy now filld all his brest, no timorous feare
Of danger could find roome to harbour there.
Downe slips he and about each limbe he hurles
His wanton body into numerous curles.
And while his taile had throwne it selfe a chaine
About her necke, his head beares up again;
With his black lips her warmer lips he greets,
And there with kisses steept in Nectar meets.
Thence Zephyr's breath he suckes, then doth he smell
Perfumes that all th' Arabian gummes excell.
And spices that doe build the Phaenix Pyre,
When she renewes her youth in funerall fire.
Nor seekes he poyson there, but like the Bee
That on mount Hybla plyes her husbandry,
He gathers honey thence, now, now I know
With Aristaeus flocks a snake may goe.
Ah cold at heart, I fear'd some heavenly sleight,
And Love my rival; that his old deceit
Had once againe this borrowed shape put on
To court my Nymph, as he Deois wonne.
Up lift the snake his head (for pleasure now
Held all his soule) and with erected brow
To flatter's Love he sung; he strives to play,
And hisses forth a well tun'd Roundelay.
This wakes the Nymph; her eyes admit the day;
Here flowers, and there her scatter'd garlands lay,
Which as shee picks up and with bents retyes,
Shee in her lap the speckled Serpent spyes.
The Nymph no signe of any terrour shows,
(How bold is beauty when her strength she knows!)
And in her hand the tender worm she grasp'd,
While it sometimes about her finger clasp'd
A ring enamel'd, then her tender wast
In manner of a girdle round imbrac't;
And now upon her arme a braslet hung,
Where for the greater ornament, he flung
His limber body into severall folds,
And twenty winding figures, where it holds
Her amorous pulse, in many a various twist,
And many a love-knot tyes upon her wrist.
Lycoris to the Gods thou art too deare,
And too too much of heaven belov'd I feare.
This or that Nymph's the Red-Sea spoiles may be,
But Lybia ne're sent Jewels but to thee.
What e're to us are deaths and poysons sent,
Desire to be Lycoris ornament.
For that same litle spider that hangs up,
Together with her web on the house top,
When shee beheld the snake a bracelet made,
Struck with an envy, and a love; shee said,
And shall a snake thy Gemme Lycoris bee ,
And such bright forme receive no tyres from mee?
Then flings her nets away, and throwing by
Her subtle toyl shee sets to catch the fly;
To th' loom Arachne goes, and plyes it there,
To work a robe for my Lycoris weare.
But thou, Serpent, which so blest canst bee
To reap those joyes for which I envy thee:
That, happy worm, upon her lip hast hung,
Sucking in kisses with thy three-fork'd tongue,
(So may'st thou age and skin together cast,
And oft recall thy youth, when it is past.)
Teach my Lycoris what your Arts may bee,
Let her th' Ingredients of thy Cordials see.
That shee may ne're grow old, that times dull plow
May never print a wrincle in her brow.
I charge thee in the pow'rfull Cupids name
May a new beauty alwayes and the same
Lycoris shew, ne're may shee in her glasse
Look for her own, and find another face.
Venus for beauty may shee then appear,
When shee has liv'd to old Sybilla's year,
And when, deare snake, thou wilt no more renew
Thy youthfull vigour, bid base earth adiew.
Adde glory to the night, or from his spheare
Huge Python pull and fix thy torches there:
Where like a river thou shalt bending go,
And through the Orbe a starry torrent flow.
And thou Lycoris , when th' art pleas'd to take
No more of life, next thy beloved Snake
Shine forth a constellation, full, and bright;
Blesse the poor heavens with more majestick light.
Who in requitall shall present you there,
Ariadnes Crown , and Cassiopaeas Chayr .
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