LXI.

God, on verdurous Helicon

Dweller, child of Urania,

Thou that draw'st to the man the fair

Maiden, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus:

Wreathe thy brows in amaracus'

Fragrant blossom; an aureat

Veil be round thee; approach, in all

Joy, approach with a luminous

Foot, a sandal of amber.

Come, for jolly the time, awake.

Chant in melody musical

Hymns of bridal; on earth a foot

Beating, hands to the winds above

Torches oozily swinging.

Such, as she that on Idaly

Venus dwelleth, appear'd before

Him, the Phrygian arbiter,

So with Mallius happily

Happy Junia weddeth.

Like some myrtle of Asia

Bright in airily blossoming

Boughs, the wood Hamadryades

Nurse with showery dew, to be

Theirs, a tender plaything.

So come to us in haste; away,

Leave thy Thespian hollow-arch'd

Rock, muse-haunted, Aonian,

Drench'd in spray from aloft, the cold

Drift of Nymph Aganippe.

Homeward summon a sovereign

Wife most passionate, holden in

Love fast prisoner: ivy not

Closer closes an elm around,

Interchangeably trailing.

You too with him, O you for whom

Comes as joyous a time, your own.

Virgins stainless of heart, arise.

Chant in unison, Hymen, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

That, more readily listening,

Whiles your song to familiar

Duty calls him, he hie apace,

Lord of fair paramours, of youth's

Fair affection uniter.

Who more worthy than he to list

Lovers wearily languishing?

Bends from heaven a sovereign

God adorabler? Hymen, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

You the father in years for his

Child beseecheth; a virginal

Zone falls slackly to earth for you,

You half-fear in his hankering

Lists the groomsman approaching.

You from motherly lap the bright

Girl can sever; your hand divine

Gives dominion, ushering

Warm the lover. O Hymen, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Nought delightful, if you be far,

Nought unharmed of envious

Tongues, Love wins him: if you be near

Much he wins him. O excellent

God, that hath not a rival.

Houses cannot, if you be far,

Yield their children, a babe renew

Sire or mother: if you be near,

Comes renewal. O excellent

God, that hath not a rival.

If your great ceremonial

Fail, no champion yeomanry

Guards the border. If you be near

Arms the border. O excellent

God, that hath not a rival.

Fling the portal apart. The bride

Waits. O see ye the luminous

Torch-flakes ruddily flickering?

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Nought she hears us: her innocent

Eyes do weep to be going.

Weep not, lady; for envious

Tongue no lovelier owneth, Au-

Runculeia; nor any more

Fair saw rosily bright the dawn

Leave his chamber in Ocean.

Such in many a flowering

Garden, trimm'd for a lord's delight,

Stands some delicate hyacinth.

Yet you tarry. The day declines.

Forth, fair bride, to the people.

Forth, fair bride, to the people, if

So it likes you, a-listening

Words that please us. O eye ye yon

Torches ruddily flickering?

Forth, fair bride, to the people.

Husband never of yours shall haunt

Stained wanton, a mutinous

Fancy shamefully following,

Tire not ever, or e'er from your

Dainty bosom unyoke him.

He more lithe than a vine amid

Trees, that, mazily folded, it

Clasps and closes, in amorous

Arms shall close thee. The day declines.

Forth, fair bride, to the people.

Couch of pleasure, O odorous

Couch, whose gorgeous apparellings,

Silver-purple, on Indian

Woods do rest them; adown the bright

Feet in ivory glisten;

When thy lord in his hour attains,

What large extasy, while the night

Fleets, or noon the meridian

Passes thoro'. The day declines.

Forth, fair bride, to the people.

Lift the torches aloft in air,

Boys: the fiery veil is here.

Come, to measure your hymn rehearse.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Nor withhold ye the countryman's

Ribald raillery Fescenine.

Nor if happily boys declare

Thy dominion attaint, refuse,

Youth, the nuts to be flinging.

Fling, O womanish youth; the boys

Ask thee charity. Time agone

Toys and folly; to-day begins

Our high duty, Talassius.

Hasten, youth, to be flinging.

Thou didst surely but yestereve

Mock the women, a favourite

Far above them: anon the first

Beard, the razor. Alack, alas!

Hasten, youth, to be flinging.

You, whom odorous oils declare

Bridegroom, swerve not; a slippery

Love calls lightly, but yet refrain.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Lawful only did e'er delight

You, we know; but it is not, O

Husband, lawful as heretofore.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Bride, thou also, if he demand

Aught, refuse not, assent, obey.

Love can angrily pipe adieu.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Look! thy mansion, a sovereign

Home most goodly, by him to thee

Given. Reign as a queen within,

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Still when hoary decrepitude,

Shaking wintery brows benign,

Nods a tremulous Yes to all.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

With fair augury smite the blest

Threshold, sunnily glistening

Feet: yon ivory door approach,

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

See one seated, a banqueter.

'Tis thy lord on a Tyrian

Couch: his spirit is all to thee.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Not less surely in him than in

Thee love lighteth a bosoming

Flame; but deeper, a fire within.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

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Thou, whose purple her arm, the slim

Arm, props happily, boy, depart.

Time the bride be at entering.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

You in chastity tried the long

Years, good women of agedest

Husbands, lay ye the bride to-night.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Husband, stay not: a bride within

Coucheth ready, the flowering

Spring less lovely; a countenance

White as parthenice, beyond

Yellow poppy to gaze on.

Thou, so help me the favouring

Gods immortal, as heavenly

Fair art also, adorned of

Venus' bounty. The day declines.

Come nor tarry to greet her.

Not too slothfully tarrying,

Thou art here. Benediction of

Venus help thee, a man without

Shame of blameless, a love that is

Honest frankly revealing.

Dust of infinite Africa,

Stars that sparkle, a myriad

Host, who measureth, your delights

He shall tell them, ineffable,

Multitudinous, over.

Make your happy delight, renew'd

Soon in children. A glorious

Name and olden is ill without

Children, unto the first a new

Stock as goodly begetting.

Some Torquatus, a beauteous

Babe, on motherly breasts to thee

Stretching, father, his innocent

Hands, smile softly from inchoate

Lips half-open a welcome.

Like his father, a Mallius

New presented, of every

Eyeing stranger allowed his own;

Mother's chastity moulded in

Features childly revealing.

Glory speak of him issuing

Child of mother as excellent

She, as only that age-renown'd

Wife, whose story Telemachus

Blazons, Penelopea.

Virgins, close ye the door. Enough

This our carol. O happiest

Lovers, jollity live with you.

Still that genial youth to love's

Consummation attend ye.