Amores

Ovid

Ovid. Ovid's Art of Love (in three Books), the Remedy of Love, the Art of Beauty, the Court of Love, the History of Love, and Amours. Dryden, John, et al., translator. New York: Calvin Blanchard, 1855.

  1. How learnt she, she is lovely by her face!
  2. Her mirror tells her so, she often tries
  3. Her mirror, and believes her charming eyes.
  4. The looks she then puts on, are still her best,
  5. And she ne'er uses it but when she's dress'd.
  6. Though wide the empire of your beauties spread,
  7. Beauty to draw my am'rous glances made:
  8. Compare your servant's merit with your eyes,
  9. You'll find no cause his service to dispise.
  10. Don't think I press upon your pride too hard.
  11. For little things may be with great compar'd:
  12. We're told Calypso, an immortal pow'r,
  13. Detain'd a mortal in th' Ogygian pow'r,
  14. And when her pray'r to stay he would not grant,
  15. So strong her love, she kept him by constraint.
  16. A Nereid took the Pythian to her arms.
  17. And Numa knew divine Egeria's charms.
  18. Vulcan though lame, and of a form obscene,
  19. Was oft made happy by the Paphian queen;
  20. She matter'd not his limping, but approv'd
  21. His flame, and saw no faults in him she lov'd
  22. My verses are unequal like his feet,
  23. Yet the long kindly with the shorter meet.
  24. As they with them, why shouldst thou not with me
  25. Comply, my life and my divinity !
  26. Myself, when I am in thy arms, I'll own
  27. Thy subject, and the bed shall be thy throne;
  28. Thou there, my lovely queen, shall give me laws,
  29. Nor in my absence, to rejoice have cause,
  30. Nor ever shall my services be blam'd
  31. Nor shalt thou of thy servant be asham'd.
  32. My poetry's my purse, my fortun's there,
  33. I have no other way to win the fair;
  34. Nor is that way the worst; the brightest dames
  35. Would in my verse immortalize their names.
  36. My muse the place of an estate supplies,
  37. And none that know her worth, her wealth despise.
  38. Some tempted by Corinna's spreading fame,
  39. In envy rob her, and usurp her name;
  40. What would they give, d'ye think, to be the same ?
  41. But neither could Eurotas, nor the Po,
  42. With poplar shaded, in one channel flew;
  43. By diff'rent, and by distant banks they glide,
  44. Are rivers both, but various in their tide.
  45. There are more beauties, but there's none like thine,
  46. There are more versed, but thou hast only mine;
  47. No other charms can e'er inspire my muse,
  48. And other themes I with disdain refuse.
  1. While, Macer, you Achilles' choler sing,
  2. And Greece before the walls of Ilium bring;
  3. While feats of arms in Phrygian fields you tell,
  4. And how old Tory by Grecion vengeance fell;
  5. I my soft hours in softer songs employ,
  6. And all my leisure give to love and joy.
  7. When to high acts, my voice I strive to raise,
  8. Love laughs at my attempt, and mocks my lays;
  9. "Begone!" I often to my mistress cry,
  10. But have not courage, yet, myself to fly.
  11. Whene'er she sees me in this sullen fit,
  12. She fondles me, and, on my knee will sit:
  13. "Enough of this (say I), for shame give o'er,
  14. Enough of love, we'll play the fool no more."
  15. " Ah, is it then a shame to love?" she cries,
  16. And chides, and melts me with her weeping eyes.
  17. Around my neck her snowy arms she throws,
  18. And to my lips with stifling kisses grows.
  19. How can I all this tenderness refuse ?
  20. At once my wisdom, and my will I lose;
  21. I'm conquer'd, and renounce the glorious train
  22. Of arms, and war, to sing of love again:
  23. My themes are acts, which I myself have done,
  24. And my muse sings no battles but my own.
  25. Once I confess I did the drama try,
  26. And ventur'd with success on tragedy;
  27. My genius with a moving scene agrees,
  28. And if I ventured further I might please:
  29. But love my heroics makes a jest,
  30. And laughs to see me in my buskins drest.
  31. Asham'd, and weary of this tragic whim,
  32. For tender thoughts I quitted the sublime.
  33. My mind my mistress bends another way,
  34. Her must my muse in all her songs obey;
  35. Though oft I do not what I write approve,
  36. Like, or not like it, I must sing of love.
  37. Whether for Ithaca's illustrious dame,
  38. To great Ulysses I a letter frame,
  39. Or for Oenone tender things indite,
  40. Or soft complaints for injur'd Phillis write;
  41. Whether fair Canace's incestuous care
  42. I sooth, or flatter Dido's fierce despair;
  43. Whether I fan Medea's raging fire,
  44. Or for sweet Sappho touch the Lesbian lyre;
  45. Whether I Phaedra's lawless love relate,
  46. Or Theseus' flight and Ariadne's fate:
  47. Oh, that Sabinus, my departed friend,
  48. Could from all quarters now his answers send!
  49. Ulysses' hand should to his queen be known,
  50. And wretched Phaedra hear from Theseus' son;
  51. Dido Aeneas' answer should receive,
  52. And Phillis Demophoon's, if alive;