文档介绍：VENUS AND ADONIS
William Shakespeare
1
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY,
EARL OF SOUHAMPTON, AND BARON OF TICHFIELD.
RIGHT HONOURABLE,
I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to
your lordship, nor how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a
prop to support so weak a burthen: only, if your honour seem but pleased,
I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all idle
hours, till I have honoured you with some graver labour. But if the first
heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a
godfather, and never after ear so barren a land, for fear it yield me still so
bad a harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and your honour to
your heart's content; which I wish may always answer your own wish and
the world's hopeful expectation.
Your honour's in all duty,
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
2
VENUS AND ADONIS
EVEN as the sun with purple-colour'd face Had ta'en his last leave of
the weeping morn, Rose-cheek'd Adonis tried him to the chase; Hunting
he lov'd, but love he laugh'd to scorn;
Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him, And like a bold-fac'd
suitor 'gins to woo him.
'Thrice fairer than myself,' thus she began, 'The field's chief flower,
sweet pare,
Stain to all nymphs, more lovely than a man, More white and red
than doves or roses are; Nature that made thee, with herself at strife, Saith
that the world hath ending with thy life.
'Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed, And rein his proud head
to the saddle-bow; If thou wilt deign this favour, for thy meed A thousand
honey secrets shalt thou know:
e and sit, where never serpent hisses; And being set, I'll
smother thee with kisses:
'And yet not cloy thy lips with loath'd satiety, But rather famish them
amid their plenty,
Making them red and pale with fresh variety; Ten kisses short as one,
one long as twenty: A summer's day will seem an hour but short, Being
wasted in such ti