| |
(From Lot’s Wife, 1890)
OH, sweet passer! I am strong, | |
| Grace and charm to me belong; | |
| All my flesh is like soft sammet and my muscles rival steel; | |
| I have spices on my breast; | |
| My dark locks are oiled and tressed, | 5 |
| And the wounds of suffering passion I can mollify and heal. | |
| |
| Hark, all ye who round me throng, | |
| I can sing a lulling song, | |
| I can charm you with the cadence of my rich sonorous voice, | |
| And with suave, melodious words, | 10 |
| Sweeter far than trills of birds, | |
| I can win your languid pleasure and can make the soul rejoice! | |
| |
| To our king one festal night | |
| I gave rapture and delight, | |
| And he crowned my brows with myrtle, ay! and kissed me on his throne; | 15 |
| For my beauty is as rare | |
| As Askar’s, surnamed the Fair, | |
| And the secrets of sweet passion unto me belong alone! | |
| |
| There is ever new surprise | |
| In the poem of my eyes; | 20 |
| I am lithe, and light, and supple, like the leopard of the plain; | |
| My curled hair has reached the length | |
| Of the lion’s in his strength, | |
| And my kiss is warm and fragrant like the falling of the rain! | |
| |
| I have zonahs in my house, | 25 |
| With white lilies on their brows, | |
| To excite you by soft kisses and white perfume-reeking arms, | |
| While I beckon your embrace | |
| In the splendor of my grace, | |
| While you play in joy ecstatic with the beauty of their charms! | 30 |
| |
| Oh, sweet passer! do not heed | |
| Yon old creature in his need, | |
| For his words are false and worthless, and a century dims his fire; | |
| He gives herbs and venomed roots; | |
| His cold kiss is like a brute’s, | 35 |
| And the spasms of god-like passion in his decrepit carcass tire! | |
| |
| Come to me, all ye who crave | |
| The sweet passion of a slave! | |
| Bring me gold, or wine and honey, and my kisses will be yours; | |
| And I swear by mighty Bel | 40 |
| To anoint and please you well, | |
| While my naked zonahs press you, and the balmy night endures! | |
| |
