Sweet, heard you not fames latest breath rehearse
How I left hewing blocks to hack at verse,
Now growne the master Log, while others be
But shavings, and the chips of Poetry.
And thus I saw Deale-boards of beauty forth,
To make my Love a warehouse of her worth.
Her leggs are heart of Oake, and columnes stand
To beare the amorous bulke; then Muse command
That Beech be work'd for thighs unto those leggs,
Turn'd round and carv'd, and joynted fast with peggs.
Contrive her belly round, a dining roome,
When Love and Beauty will a feasting come.

If all the leaves of the trees could be numbered, if the sands of the whole great sea could be counted, I could make you the sole computer of my loves.
Take first from Athens twenty loves and then fifteen more. From Corinth take strings of mistresses, for this is Achaia where the women are beautiful.
Give me two thousand loves from the Lesbians to the Ionians, Carians and Rhodians.
" Why do you talk such folly! "
I have not yet counted the Syrians, not yet my mistresses at Canopus nor all those at Crete where Love riots in the cities.

I will, I will kiss.
Love urges me to kiss. And since this is not my desire I was unwilling to be urged.
Love shook his straight bow and gold quiver; he called me to the fight.
I struggled with Love, throwing the breast-plate upon my shoulders, my spear and ox-hide shield, like Achilles.
He struck and I fled. And as he had no shafts he grew angry, hurled himself at me in a glance.
He pierced to my heart and overwhelmed me. In vain I have a shield; for, since he is within me, is he not out of shot?

A young man offered a waxen Love; and I, who was standing near, said: " How much will you take for your work of art? "
And he answered in Doric: " Take it for what you like to give, for it will make you mad with desire. I am not a wax-moulder, but I should not like to live with all-powerful Love. "
" Give him to me, then, " said I, " give me, for a drachma, this lovely bedfellow. "
Love! burn me at once with desire — if not I will melt you in the fire.

The women say: " You are old, Anacreon; take your mirror and look in it — you have no hair, the front of your head is bald. "
And I do not know whether I have hair or not, but this I do know: that an old man may well take all delicate pleasures with girls for he draws near to the ultimate Fate.

Gathering flowers for a crown I found young Love among the roses, seized him by the wings and plunged him into wine and drank him down!
Now with his wings he caresses my heart.

As Loves image, to be sold,
Wrought in wax I did behold,
To the man I went; what is
Friend said I the price of this?
Give me what you please (he said)
This belongs not to my trade,
And so dangerous a guest
In my house I'me loth should rest.
Give m'him for this piece, said I,
And the Boy with me shall ly:
But Love see thou now melt me,
Or Ile do as much for thee.

It is wintry weather, but softly-weeping Love drags me from the feast and carries me to you, Myiscus.
Fierce desire is the raging wind—receive me into port, a sailor on the sea of Aphrodite!

Cleobulus is a white flower and Sopolis dark—twin blossoms of Aphrodite.
Desire follows me, for the loves are said to be woven from black (Melas) and white (agros) i.e. , Meleagér.

Aphrodite is my ship-owner, but Love governs the helm, holding my soul's rudder in his hand.
Fierce Desire is the raging wind; I swim in a sea of loves!