Countess
03-01-2006, 06:23 PM
Blame Riesa for me pulling this out of my archives from 2003. :lol:
A fair-faced man no greater treasure to behold,
He gleams forth like golden sunrise, like
shining silver over morning dew,
and graced by God his features to be bold,
nocturnal eyes like sky, like stars, like
crested ocean tops as they roll,
In bright daytime
She hides her face in shame,
Her fair beauty no match for his alone,
With lips like wine to her gentle disgrace,
and Delphian tresses which tenderly encase
a skin spun soft as silkworm has sewn,
He strolls like thunder flashing lightning eyes,
The noblest creature ever known.
II
But lo! From deep within the forest’s thicket
resounds the shrilly trumpet’s horn!
Then angels scatter and cockatoos rise,
as youthful Caesar draws his sword
to slay the beast and win the prize!
The creature countered, a clever wit,
to escape a woodland so brightly lit,
But Caesar—not one to be denied—
pursued with vigor, in youthful pride
to rule the dog and steal her hair,
so to her lair and waited there.
The day wore on till across the sky
Orion commenced his evening run
And she--now in the moonlit hid--
began the joyless journey home.
Though hungry, she thought not of the scent
of rabbit’s meat or insect fare,
for she in secret was a nymph
--inclined to man--
she greatly cared--especially for Caesar.
III
Alone at last beside a lake
She took upon her former shape
a maiden nymph with fields of wheat for hair
and features sweeter than raven doves are rare.
Then this fair dame—her passion burning heat—
took up her cause to heaven, her soul to speak
“Oh cursed sun, retract your golden rays!
For Caesar’s light shall bright the blackest day,
And murderous moon conceal your sallow frame,
Let angels rise
and demons fall
for Caesar’s face is fairer than them all.”
When echo heard but answered not her plea,
and silence glazed the lake as smooth as glass,
then she resumed with potent’r entreat
and dared the gods her argument to make
“Tis clear that lovely Venus now serves her brood,
being smote with her own beauty thrice removed,
And Apollo God’s own image has disdained
he walks among mere mortals as a man,
What gods may come,
What gods may go,
but none before fine Caesar
would brave a show.
Then suddenly like spirits are invoked
and wizards from incantations do conjure
the gods of love and beauty were awoke
to fly to earth this heresy to cure
“How dare ye speak to me in such a fashion?”
No damsel walks this earth or god on high
that’s fairer, for I have slewn the god of action,
and caused great Jove but for my looks to sigh.”
“Dear woman, please restrain your haughty tongue,
and speak no more of Caesar with Apollo,
For legions of fair beauties have I sung,
and into bed a many have I followed.”
“Fie on you both!” rebuked the love-struck nymph,
“Tis pride that flies before this weary sun,
like Phoenix flew to Mount Olymus gate,
then burned and back to earth returned.”
Apollo, his fierce anger being roused,
and pride demanding debt to be repaid,
smote the love struck nymph with a curse,
a fatal venge through nature to be conveyed.
The maiden nymph, her hands once fine and frail,
now boasted ragged claws and bushy mane,
with fox’s jaws and canine wagging tail
she stood aside that lake shore in the rain.
Like a dear before the mighty lion’s roar
she ran, as only dogs know how to run
till Caesar seeing withdrew his quivered store
and sunk the shafts inside her, one by one.
When Venus saw the love her kin engendered,
and sorrow mixed with pity quite a potion,
then to the nymph her former looks she rendered
for kisses sweet wrought in love’s deepest devotion.
IV
But oh! With dreaded horror did Caesar awake
to recognize his fatal mistake!
That fragile face! Those emerald eyes!
A tragic waste---for those lips he
longed to taste before she died.
So lover’s mouths rejoiced in pleasure,
the fleeting heat and lazy leisure
of a blissful kiss—
till Hades reached forth his deadly fist
to drag her doleful spirit down.
Then Venus, in divine compassion,
from Caesar formed a constellation,
a garlanded hunter with bow and arrow drawn,
and cloistered fox before him trotting home.
A fair-faced man no greater treasure to behold,
He gleams forth like golden sunrise, like
shining silver over morning dew,
and graced by God his features to be bold,
nocturnal eyes like sky, like stars, like
crested ocean tops as they roll,
In bright daytime
She hides her face in shame,
Her fair beauty no match for his alone,
With lips like wine to her gentle disgrace,
and Delphian tresses which tenderly encase
a skin spun soft as silkworm has sewn,
He strolls like thunder flashing lightning eyes,
The noblest creature ever known.
II
But lo! From deep within the forest’s thicket
resounds the shrilly trumpet’s horn!
Then angels scatter and cockatoos rise,
as youthful Caesar draws his sword
to slay the beast and win the prize!
The creature countered, a clever wit,
to escape a woodland so brightly lit,
But Caesar—not one to be denied—
pursued with vigor, in youthful pride
to rule the dog and steal her hair,
so to her lair and waited there.
The day wore on till across the sky
Orion commenced his evening run
And she--now in the moonlit hid--
began the joyless journey home.
Though hungry, she thought not of the scent
of rabbit’s meat or insect fare,
for she in secret was a nymph
--inclined to man--
she greatly cared--especially for Caesar.
III
Alone at last beside a lake
She took upon her former shape
a maiden nymph with fields of wheat for hair
and features sweeter than raven doves are rare.
Then this fair dame—her passion burning heat—
took up her cause to heaven, her soul to speak
“Oh cursed sun, retract your golden rays!
For Caesar’s light shall bright the blackest day,
And murderous moon conceal your sallow frame,
Let angels rise
and demons fall
for Caesar’s face is fairer than them all.”
When echo heard but answered not her plea,
and silence glazed the lake as smooth as glass,
then she resumed with potent’r entreat
and dared the gods her argument to make
“Tis clear that lovely Venus now serves her brood,
being smote with her own beauty thrice removed,
And Apollo God’s own image has disdained
he walks among mere mortals as a man,
What gods may come,
What gods may go,
but none before fine Caesar
would brave a show.
Then suddenly like spirits are invoked
and wizards from incantations do conjure
the gods of love and beauty were awoke
to fly to earth this heresy to cure
“How dare ye speak to me in such a fashion?”
No damsel walks this earth or god on high
that’s fairer, for I have slewn the god of action,
and caused great Jove but for my looks to sigh.”
“Dear woman, please restrain your haughty tongue,
and speak no more of Caesar with Apollo,
For legions of fair beauties have I sung,
and into bed a many have I followed.”
“Fie on you both!” rebuked the love-struck nymph,
“Tis pride that flies before this weary sun,
like Phoenix flew to Mount Olymus gate,
then burned and back to earth returned.”
Apollo, his fierce anger being roused,
and pride demanding debt to be repaid,
smote the love struck nymph with a curse,
a fatal venge through nature to be conveyed.
The maiden nymph, her hands once fine and frail,
now boasted ragged claws and bushy mane,
with fox’s jaws and canine wagging tail
she stood aside that lake shore in the rain.
Like a dear before the mighty lion’s roar
she ran, as only dogs know how to run
till Caesar seeing withdrew his quivered store
and sunk the shafts inside her, one by one.
When Venus saw the love her kin engendered,
and sorrow mixed with pity quite a potion,
then to the nymph her former looks she rendered
for kisses sweet wrought in love’s deepest devotion.
IV
But oh! With dreaded horror did Caesar awake
to recognize his fatal mistake!
That fragile face! Those emerald eyes!
A tragic waste---for those lips he
longed to taste before she died.
So lover’s mouths rejoiced in pleasure,
the fleeting heat and lazy leisure
of a blissful kiss—
till Hades reached forth his deadly fist
to drag her doleful spirit down.
Then Venus, in divine compassion,
from Caesar formed a constellation,
a garlanded hunter with bow and arrow drawn,
and cloistered fox before him trotting home.