Lucius Seneca - Yale Required Reading - Collected Works (Vol. 2)

Clasps and closes, in amorous

Arms shall close thee. The day declines.

Forth, fair bride, to the people.

Couch of pleasure, O odorous Couch, whose gorgeous apparellings, Silver-purple, on Indian Woods do rest them; adown the bright Feet in ivory glisten;

When thy lord in his hour attains,

What large extasy, while the night

Fleets, or noon the meridian

Passes thoro'. The day declines.

Forth, fair bride, to the people.

Lift the torches aloft in air,

Boys: the fiery veil is here.

Come, to measure your hymn rehearse.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Nor withhold ye the countryman's

Ribald raillery Fescenine.

Nor if happily boys declare

Thy dominion attaint, refuse,

Youth, the nuts to be flinging.

Fling, O womanish youth; the boys

Ask thee charity. Time agone

Toys and folly; to-day begins

Our high duty, Talassius.

Hasten, youth, to be flinging.

Thou didst surely but yestereve

Mock the women, a favourite

Far above them: anon the first

Beard, the razor. Alack, alas!

Hasten, youth, to be flinging.

You, whom odorous oils declare

Bridegroom, swerve not; a slippery

Love calls lightly, but yet refrain.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Lawful only did e'er delight

You, we know; but it is not, O

Husband, lawful as heretofore.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Bride, thou also, if he demand

Aught, refuse not, assent, obey.

Love can angrily pipe adieu.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Look! thy mansion, a sovereign

Home most goodly, by him to thee

Given. Reign as a queen within,

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Still when hoary decrepitude,

Shaking wintery brows benign,

Nods a tremulous Yes to all.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

With fair augury smite the blest

Threshold, sunnily glistening

Feet: yon ivory door approach,

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

See one seated, a banqueter.

'Tis thy lord on a Tyrian

Couch: his spirit is all to thee.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Not less surely in him than in

Thee love lighteth a bosoming

Flame; but deeper, a fire within.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thou, whose purple her arm, the slim

Arm, props happily, boy, depart.

Time the bride be at entering.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

You in chastity tried the long

Years, good women of agedest

Husbands, lay ye the bride to-night.

Hymen, O Hymenaeus, O

Hymen, O Hymenaeus.

Husband, stay not: a bride within

Coucheth ready, the flowering

Spring less lovely; a countenance

White as parthenice, beyond

Yellow poppy to gaze on.

Thou, so help me the favouring

Gods immortal, as heavenly

Fair art also, adorned of

Venus' bounty. The day declines.

Come nor tarry to greet her.

Not too slothfully tarrying,

Thou art here. Benediction of

Venus help thee, a man without

Shame of blameless, a love that is

Honest frankly revealing.

Dust of infinite Africa,

Stars that sparkle, a myriad

Host, who measureth, your delights

He shall tell them, ineffable,

Multitudinous, over.

Make your happy delight, renew'd

Soon in children. A glorious

Name and olden is ill without

Children, unto the first a new

Stock as goodly begetting.

Some Torquatus, a beauteous

Babe, on motherly breasts to thee

Stretching, father, his innocent

Hands, smile softly from inchoate

Lips half-open a welcome.

Like his father, a Mallius

New presented, of every

Eyeing stranger allowed his own;

Mother's chastity moulded in

Features childly revealing.

Glory speak of him issuing

Child of mother as excellent

She, as only that age-renown'd

Wife, whose story Telemachus

Blazons, Penelopea.

Virgins, close ye the door. Enough

This our carol. O happiest

Lovers, jollity live with you.

Still that genial youth to love's

Consummation attend ye.

Table of Contents

YOUTHS.

Hesper is here; rise youths, rise all of you; high on Olympus

Hesper his orb long-look'd for aloft 'gins slowly to kindle.

Time is now to arise, from tables costly to part us;

Now doth a virgin approach, now soundeth a glad Hymenaeal.

Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.

VIRGINS.

See ye yon youthful band? O, maidens, rise ye to meet them.

Comes not Night's bright bearer a fire o'er Oeta revealing?

Surely; for even now, in a moment all have arisen,

Not for nought have arisen; a song waits, goodly to gaze on.

Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.

YOUTHS.

No light victory this, O comrades, ready before us.

Busy the virgins muse, their practis'd ditty recalling,

Muse nor shall miscarry; a song for memory waits us.

Rightly; for all their souls do inwards labour in issue.

We—our thoughts one way, our ears have drifted another,

So comes worthy defeat; no victory calls to the careless.

Come then, in even race let thought their melody rival;

They must open anon; 'twere better anon be replying.

Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.

VIRGINS.

Hesper, moveth in heaven a light more tyrannous ever?

Thou from a mother's arms canst wrest her daughter asunder,

Wrest from a mother's arms her daughter woefully clinging,

Then to the burning youth his virgin beauty deliver.

Foes in a new-sack'd town, when wrought they crueller ever?

Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.

YOUTHS.

Hesper, shineth in heaven a light more genial ever?

Thou with a bridal flame true lovers' unity crownest,

All which duly the men, which plighted duly the parents,

Then completed alone, when thou in splendour awakest.

When shone an happier hour than thy god-speeded arriving?

Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.

VIRGINS.

Sisters, Hesper a fellow of our bright company taketh.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.

YOUTHS.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hesper, awaiting thee each sentinel holdeth alarum. Night veils love's false thieves; thieves still when, Hesper, another Name, but unalter'd still, thou tak'st them surely, returning. Yet be the maidens pleas'd in woeful fancy to chide thee. Maybe for all they chide, their hearts do inly desire thee.

Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.

VIRGINS.

Look in a garden-croft when a flower privily growing,

Hid from grazing kine, by ploughshare never y-broken,

Strok'd by the breeze, by the sun nurs'd sturdily, rear'd by the showers;

Many a wistful boy, and maidens many desire it:

Yet if a slender nail hath nipt his bloom to deflour it,

Never a wistful boy, nor maidens any desire it:

Such is a girl untoy'd with as yet, yet lovely to kinsmen;

Once her body profan'd, herflow'r of chastity blighted,

Boys no more she delights, nor seems so lovely to maidens;