Foolish men who accuse women unreasonably, you blame yet never see you cause what you abuse. You crawl before her, sad begging for a quick cure; why ask her to be pure when you have made her bad? In one heroic breath your reason fails, like a wild bogeyman made up by a child who then is scared to death. With idiotic pride you hope to find her prize: a regal whore like Thais and Lucretia for a bride. Has anyone ever seen a stranger moral fervor: you who dirty the mirror regret it is not clean? You treat favor and disdain with the same shallow mock- ing voice: love you and you squawk, demur and you complain. No answer at her door will be a proper par: say no--she has no heart, say yes--and she's a whore. Two levels to your game in which you are the fool: one you blame as cruel, one who yields, you shame. How can one not be bad the way your love pretends to be? Say no and she offends. Consent and you are mad. With all the fury and pain your whims cause her, it's good for her who h...
I love you, because in my thousand and one nights of dreams, I never once dreamed of you. I looked down paths that traveled from afar, but it was never you I expected. Suddenly I've felt you flying through my soul in quick, lofty flight, and how beautiful you seem way up there, far from my always idiot heart! Love me that way, flying over everything. And, like the bird on its branch, land in my arms only to rest, then fly off again. Be not like the romantic ones who, in love, set me on fire, When you climb up my mansion, enter so lightly, that as you enter the dog of my heart will not bark. Translated by Julio Marzan
Heart, we will forget him, You and I, tonight! You must forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light. When you have done pray tell me, Then I, my thoughts, will dim. Haste! ‘lest while you’re lagging I may remember him!
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