Venus and Adonis (Modern)
Peer Reviewed
¶Whose beams upon his hairless face are fixed,
¶As if from thence they borrowed all their shine.
¶Were never four such lamps together mixed,
490Had not his clouded with his brows repine;
¶_But hers, which through the crystal tears gave light,
¶_Shone like the moon in water seen by night.
¶"O, where am I?" quoth she, "in earth or heaven,
¶Or in the ocean drenched, or in the fire?
495What hour is this, or morn, or weary even?
¶Do I delight to die, or life desire?
¶_But now I lived, and life was death's annoy;
¶_But now I died, and death was lively joy.
¶"O thou didst kill me; kill me once again.
500Thy eyes' shrewd tutor, that hard heart of thine,
¶Hath taught them scornful tricks and such disdain
¶That they have murdered this poor heart of mine;
¶_And these mine eyes, true leaders to their queen,
¶_But for thy piteous lips no more had seen.
