The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (56 page)

Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online

Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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263

      

Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams.

264

      

The birds their choir
2899
apply,
2900
airs, vernal airs,

265

      

Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune
2901

266

      

The trembling leaves, while universal Pan,

267

      

Knit
2902
with the Graces
2903
and the Hours
2904
in dance,

268

      

Led on th’ eternal Spring. Not that fair field

269

      

Of Enna,
2905
where Proserpine, gath’ring flow’rs,

270

      

Herself a fairer flow’r by gloomy Dis
2906

271

      

Was gathered, which cost Ceres
2907
all that pain

272

      

To seek her through the world. Nor that sweet grove

273

      

Of Daphne
2908
by Orontes,
2909
and the inspired
2910

274

      

Castalian spring,
2911
might with this Paradise

275

      

Of Eden strive,
2912
nor that Nyseian
2913
isle

276

      

Girt
2914
with the river Triton, where old Cham,
2915

277

      

Whom gentiles Ammon call, and Libyan Jove,

278

      

Hid Amalthea
2916
and her florid
2917
son

279

      

Young Bacchus from his stepdame Rhea’s eye,

280

      

Nor where Abassin
2918
kings their issue
2919
guard,

281

      

Mount Amara,
2920
though this by some supposed

282

      

True Paradise under the Ethiop line
2921

283

      

By Nilus
2922
head,
2923
enclosed with shining rock,

284

      

A whole day’s journey high, but wide remote

285

      

From this Assyrian garden, where the fiend

286

      

Saw, undelighted, all delight, all kind

287

      

Of living creatures, new to sight, and strange.

288

      

   
Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,

289

      

Godlike erect, with native honor clad

290

      

In naked majesty, seemed lords of all.

291

      

And worthy seemed, for in their looks divine

292

      

The image of their glorious Maker shone,

293

      

Truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure

294

      

(Severe, but in true filial freedom placed)

295

      

Whence true authority in men. Though both

296

      

Not equal, as their sex not equal seemed:

297

      

For contemplation he, and valor, formed;

298

      

For softness she and sweet attractive grace;

299

      

He for God only, she for God in him.

300

      

His fair large front
2924
and eye sublime
2925
declared
2926

301

      

Absolute rule, and hyacinthine
2927
locks

302

      

Round from his parted forelock
2928
manly hung

303

      

Clust’ring, but not beneath his shoulders broad.

304

      

She as a veil down to the slender waist

305

      

Her unadornèd golden tresses wore

306

      

Dishevelled,
2929
but in wanton
2930
ringlets waved

307

      

As the vine curls her tendrils, which implied

308

      

Subjection, but required
2931
with gentle sway,
2932

309

      

And by her yielded, by him best received,

310

      

Yielded with coy
2933
submission, modest pride,

311

      

And sweet, reluctant, amorous delay.

312

      

Nor those mysterious parts
2934
were then concealed.

313

      

Then was not guilty shame, dishonest
2935
shame

314

      

Of Nature’s works. Honor dishonorable,

315

      

Sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind

316

      

With shows
2936
instead, mere shows of seeming pure,

317

      

And banished from man’s life his happiest life,

318

      

Simplicity and spotless innocence!

319

      

   
So passed they naked on, nor shunned the sight

320

      

Of God or Angel, for they thought no ill:

321

      

So hand in hand they passed, the loveliest pair

322

      

That ever since in love’s embraces met,

323

      

Adam the goodliest man of men, since born

324

      

His sons, the fairest of her daughters Eve.

325

      

Under a tuft
2937
of shade that on a green
2938

326

      

Stood whispering soft, by a fresh fountain side

327

      

They sat them down and, after no more toil

328

      

Of their sweet gardening labor than sufficed

329

      

To recommend
2939
cool Zephyr,
2940
and made ease

330

      

More easy, wholesome thirst and appetite

331

      

More grateful, to their supper-fruits they fell,

332

      

Nectarine
2941
fruits which the compliant
2942
boughs

333

      

Yielded them, side-long as they sat recline

334

      

On the soft downy bank, damasked
2943
with flow’rs.

335

      

The savory pulp they chew, and in the rind,

336

      

Still as they thirsted, scoop the brimming stream,

337

      

Nor gentle purpose,
2944
nor endearing smiles

338

      

Wanted,
2945
nor youthful dalliance, as beseems

339

      

Fair couple, linked in happy nuptial league,

340

      

Alone as they. About them frisking played

341

      

All beasts of the earth, since wild, and of all chase
2946

342

      

In wood or wilderness, forest or den.

343

      

Sporting,
2947
the lion ramped,
2948
and in his paw

344

      

Dandled
2949
the kid; bears, tigers, ounces,
2950
pards,
2951

345

      

Gambolled
2952
before them; the unwieldy elephant,

346

      

To make them mirth, used all his might, and wreathed
2953

347

      

His lithe
2954
proboscis;
2955
close,
2956
the serpent sly

348

      

Insinuating
2957
wove with Gordian
2958
twine
2959

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