Me happy, night, night full of brightness; <br />Oh couch made happy by iny long delectations; <br />How many words talked out with abundant candles; <br />Struggles when the lights were taken away; <br />Now with bared breasts she wrestled against me, <br />Tunic spread in delay; <br />And she then opening my eyelids fallen in sleep, <br />Her lips upon them; and it was her mouth saying: <br />Sluggard! <br /> <br />In how many varied embraces, our changing arms, <br />Her kisses, how many, lingering on my lips. <br />'Turn not Venus into a blinded motion, <br />Eyes are the guides of love, <br />Paris took Helen naked coming from the bed of Menelaus, <br />Endymion's naked body, bright bait for Diana,' <br />such at least is the story. <br /> <br />While our fates twine together, sate we our eyes with love; <br />For long night comes upon you <br />and a day when no day returns. <br />Let the gods lay chains upon us <br />so that no day shall unbind them. <br /> <br />Fool who would set a term to love's madness, <br />For the sun shall drive with black horses, <br />earth shall bring wheat from barley, <br />The flood shall move toward the fountain <br />Ere love know moderations, <br />The fish shall swim in dry streams. <br />No, now while it may be, let not the fruit of life cease. <br />Dry wreaths drop their petals, <br />their stalks are woven in baskets, <br />To-day we take the great breath of lovers, <br />to-morrow fate shuts us in. <br /> <br />Though you give all your kisses <br />you give but few. <br /> <br />Nor can I shift my pains to other, <br />Hers will I be dead, <br />If she confer such nights upon me, <br />long is my life, long in years, <br />If she give me many, <br />God am I for the time.<br /><br />Ezra Pound<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/homage-to-sextus-propertius-vii/
