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| THEN, first, with locks dishevelled and bare, | |
| Strait girded, in a cheerful calmy night, | |
| Having a fire made of green cypress wood, | |
| And with male frankincense on altar kindled; | |
| I call on threefold HECATE with tears! | 5 |
| And here, with loud voice, invocate the Furies! | |
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| For their assistance to me, with their furies; | |
| Whilst snowy steeds in coach, bright PHŒBE bare. | |
| Ay me! PARTHENOPHE smiles at my tears! | |
| I neither take my rest by day or night; | 10 |
| Her cruel loves in me such heat have kindled. | |
| Hence, goat! and bring her to me raging wood! | |
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| HECATE tell, which way she comes through the wood! | |
| This wine about this altar, to the Furies | |
| I sprinkle! whiles the cypress boughs be kindled. | 15 |
| This brimstone, earth within her bowels bare! | |
| And this blue incense, sacred to the night! | |
| This hand, perforce, from this bay his branch tears! | |
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| So be She brought! which pitied not my tears! | |
| And as it burneth with the cypress wood, | 20 |
| So burn She with desire, by day and night! | |
| You gods of vengeance! and avengeful Furies! | |
| Revenge, to whom I bend on my knees bare. | |
| Hence, goat! and bring her, with love’s outrage kindled! | |
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| HECATE! make signs, if She with love come kindled! | 25 |
| Think on my Passions! HECATE! and my tears! | |
| This Rosemarine (whose branch She chiefly bare, | |
| And lovèd best) I cut, both bark and wood: | |
| Broke with this brazen axe, and, in love’s furies, | |
| I tread on it, rejoicing in this night, | 30 |
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| And saying, “Let her feel such wounds this night!” | |
| About this altar, and rich incense kindled, | |
| This lace and vervine (to love’s bitter furies!) | |
| I bind, and strew; and, with sad sighs and tears, | |
| About, I bear her Image, raging wood. | 35 |
| Hence, goat! and bring her from her bedding bare! | |
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| HECATE! reveal if She like Passions bare! | |
| I knit three true-lovers-knots (this is Love’s night!) | |
| Of three discoloured silks, to make her wood; | |
| But She scorns VENUS, till her loves be kindled, | 40 |
| And till She find the grief of sighs and tears. | |
| Sweet Queen of Loves! For mine unpitied furies, | |
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| Alike torment her, with such scalding fires! | |
| And this Turtle, when the loss she bare | |
| Of her dear Make, in her kind, did shed tears | 45 |
| And mourning; did seek him, all day and night: | |
| Let such lament in her, for me be kindled! | |
| And mourn she still! till she run raging wood | |
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| Hence, goat! and bring her to me raging wood! | |
| These letters, and these verses to the Furies, | 50 |
| Which She did write, all in this flame be kindled. | |
| Me, with these papers, in vain hope She bare, | |
| That She, to day would turn mine hopeless night, | |
| These, as I rent and burn, so fury tears. | |
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| Her hardened heart, which pitied not my tears. | 55 |
| The wind-shaked trees make murmur in the wood, | |
| The waters roar at this thrice sacred night, | |
| The winds come whisking shrill to note her furies; | |
| Trees, woods, and winds, a part in my plaints bare, | |
| And knew my woes; now joy to see her kindled! | 60 |
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| See! whence She comes, with loves enraged and kindled! | |
| The pitchy clouds, in drops, send down their tears! | |
| Owls screech! Dogs bark to see her carried bare! | |
| Wolves yowle and cry! Bulls bellow through the wood! | |
| Ravens croape! Now, now! I feel love’s fiercest furies! | 65 |
| Seest thou, that black goat! brought, this silent night, | |
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| Through empty clouds, by th’ Daughters of the Night! | |
| See how on him, She sits! with love rage kindled! | |
| Hither, perforce, brought with avengeful Furies! | |
| Now, I wax drowsy! Now, cease all my tears; | 70 |
| Whilst I take rest, and slumber near this wood! | |
| Ah me! PARTHENOPHE naked and bare! | |
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| Come, blessed goat, that my sweet Lady bare! | |
| Where hast thou been, PARTHENOPHE! this night? | |
| What, cold! Sleep by this fire of cypress wood, | 75 |
| Which I, much longing for thy sake, have kindled! | |
| Weep not! Come Loves and wipe away her tears! | |
| At length yet, wilt Thou take away my furies? | |
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| Ay me! Embrace me! See those ugly Furies! | |
| Come to my bed! lest they behold thee bare; | 80 |
| And bear thee hence! They will not pity tears! | |
| And these still dwell in everlasting night! | |
| Ah, Loves, (sweet love!) sweet fires for us hath kindled! | |
| But not inflamed with frankincense or wood. | |
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| The Furies, they shall hence into the wood! | 85 |
| Whiles CUPID shall make calmer his hot furies, | |
| And stand appeased at our fires kindled. | |
| Join! join PARTHENOPHE! Thyself unbare! | |
| None can perceive us in the silent night! | |
| Now will I cease from sighs, laments, and tears! | 90 |
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| And cease, PARTHENOPHE! Sweet! cease thy tears! | |
| Bear golden apples, thorns in every wood! | |
| Join heavens! for we conjoin this heavenly night! | |
| Let alder trees bear apricots! (Die Furies!) | |
| And thistles, pears! which prickles lately bare! | 95 |
| Now both in one, with equal flame be kindled! | |
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| Die magic boughs! now die, which late were kindled! | |
| Here is mine heaven! Loves drop, instead of tears! | |
| It joins! it joins! Ah, both embracing bare! | |
| Let nettles bring forth roses in each wood! | 100 |
| Last ever verdant woods! Hence, former Furies! | |
| O die! live! joy! What? Last continual, night! | |
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| Sleep PHŒBUS still with THETIS! Rule still, night! | |
| I melt in love! Love’s marrow-flame is kindled! | |
| Here will I be consumed in Love’s sweet furies! | 105 |
| I melt! I melt! Watch CUPID, my love tears! | |
| If these be Furies, O let me be wood! | |
| If all the fiery element I bare; | |
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| ’Tis now acquitted! Cease your former tears! | |
| For as She once, with rage my body kindled; | 110 |
So in hers, am I buried this night!
F I N I S. | |
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