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Ode to a Loved One

LEST as the immortal gods is he,
The youth who fondly sits by thee,
And hears and sees thee, all the while,
Softly speaks and sweetly smile.
 
'Twas this deprived my soul of rest,
And raised such tumults in my breast;
For, while I gazed, in transport tossed,
My breath was gone, my voice was lost;
 
My bosom glowed; the subtle flame
Ran quick through all my vital frame;
O'er my dim eyes a darkness hung;
My ears with hollow murmurs rung;
 
In dewy damps my limbs were chilled;
My blood with gentle horrors thrilled:
My feeble pulse forgot to play;
I fainted, sunk, and died away.

Notes

This English translation, by Ambrose Philips, of 'Ode To a Loved One' is reprinted from Greek Poets in English Verse. Ed. William Hyde Appleton. Cambridge: The Riverside Press, 1893.

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Comments


  • Ahkam Moderators member
    November 26, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    This is a wonderful poem...
    "In dewy damps my limbs were chilled;
    My blood with gentle horrors thrilled:
    My feeble pulse forgot to play;
    I fainted, sunk, and died away."
    this is a simple submission to love...very cute

  • HoldMe
    February 24, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Nice...kinda dark, but with a really nice flow. Definitely a piece that deserves to be read more...though for some reason it seems to not exactly be what this author usually writes.