- The poem addresses a coy mistress and urges her to engage in lovemaking before time runs out.
- The narrator says that if they had endless time, her coyness would not be a crime, but time is fleeting so they must act now.
- He urges her to embrace passionately before youth fades and they are trapped by the "iron gates of life," making their sun "run" rather than stand still.
- The poem addresses a coy mistress and urges her to engage in lovemaking before time runs out.
- The narrator says that if they had endless time, her coyness would not be a crime, but time is fleeting so they must act now.
- He urges her to embrace passionately before youth fades and they are trapped by the "iron gates of life," making their sun "run" rather than stand still.
- The poem addresses a coy mistress and urges her to engage in lovemaking before time runs out.
- The narrator says that if they had endless time, her coyness would not be a crime, but time is fleeting so they must act now.
- He urges her to embrace passionately before youth fades and they are trapped by the "iron gates of life," making their sun "run" rather than stand still.
- The poem addresses a coy mistress and urges her to engage in lovemaking before time runs out.
- The narrator says that if they had endless time, her coyness would not be a crime, but time is fleeting so they must act now.
- He urges her to embrace passionately before youth fades and they are trapped by the "iron gates of life," making their sun "run" rather than stand still.
This coyness, lady, were no crime. We would sit down, and think which way To walk, and pass our long loves day. Thou by the Indian Ganges side Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide Of Humber would complain. I would Love you ten years before the flood, And you should, if you please, refuse Till the conversion of the Jews. My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires and more slow; An hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze; Two hundred to adore each breast, But thirty thousand to the rest; An age at least to every part, And the last age should show your heart. For, lady, you deserve this state, Nor would I love at lower rate. But at my back I always hear Times wingd chariot hurrying near; And yonder all before us lie Deserts of vast eternity. Thy beauty shall no more be found; Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound My echoing song; then worms shall try That long-preserved virginity, And your quaint honour turn to dust, And into ashes all my lust; The graves a fine and private place, But none, I think, do there embrace. Now therefore, while the youthful hue Sits on thy skin like morning dew, And while thy willing soul transpires At every pore with instant fires, Now let us sport us while we may, And now, like amorous birds of prey, Rather at once our time devour Than languish in his slow-chapped power. Let us roll all our strength and all Our sweetness up into one ball, And tear our pleasures with rough strife Through the iron gates of life: Thus, though we cannot make our sun Stand still, yet we will make him run. Sol che avessimo mondo e tempo sufficienti, questo pudor, signora, non sarebbe delitto. Assisi, penseremmo dove passeggiare e trascorrere il nostro lungo giorno damore. Tu sulla sponda dellindiano Gange rubini troveresti; io presso la corrente del Humber mi dorrei. Io vamerei per ben dieci anni prima del Diluvio; e voi ricusereste, se vaggrada, fino alla conversione degli ebrei. Il mio amor vegetale crescerebbe pi vasto degli imperi, e pi lento. Centanni se nandrebbero a lodare gli occhi tuoi, e a contemplare la tua fronte, duecento ad adorare ciascuno dei tuoi seni; ma trentamila anni per il resto. Per ogni parte per lo meno un secolo, e lultimo dei secoli mostrerebbe il tuo cuore. Ch, signora, voi siete degna di tanto onore, ed io non vamerei per minor prezzo. Ma alle mie spalle odo continuamente lalato cocchio del tempo che rapido sapprossima: e l tutto dinnanzi a noi si stendono deserti di vasta eternit. Pi non si trover la tua bellezza, n pi, nella tua tomba marmorea, risuoner il mio canto echeggiante; allora i vermi metteranno a prova quella verginit s a lungo preservata, ed il tuo onore schivo si canger in polvere, ed in cenere tutta la mia brama. la tomba una bella e segreta stanza, ma nessuno, chio sappia, ivi si abbraccia. Ora dunque, finch il color giovanile posa sulla tua pelle al pari di rugiada mattutina, e finch la tua anima vogliosa traspira ad ogni poro pertinaci fuochi, ora prendiam diletto fin tanto che possiamo; ora, quali amorosi uccelli rapaci, divoriamo ad un tratto il nostro tempo piuttosto che languire nelle sue lente fauci. Ravvolgiamo ogni nostra forza e ogni nostra dolcezza in un unico globo; ed avventiamo i nostri piaceri con rude violenza oltre i ferrei cancelli della vita. Cos, sebbene non possiamo indurre il nostro sole a star fermo, almeno lo faremo correre.
