Song Of The Peri

A poem by Violet Nicolson, Lawrence Hope, Adela Florence Cory Nicolson (1865 – 1904)

Beauty, the Gift of Gifts, I give to thee.

Pleasure and love shall spring around thy feet

As through the lake the lotuses arise

Pinkly transparent and divinely sweet.

I give thee eyes aglow like morning stars,

Delicate brows, a mist of sable tresses,

That all the journey of thy lie may be

Lit up by love and softened by caresses.

For those who once were proud and softly bred

Shall, kneeling, wait thee as thou passest by,

They who were pure shall stretch forth eager hands

Crying, “Thy pity, Lord, before we die!”

And one shall murmur, “If the sun at dawn

Shall open and caress a happy flower,

What blame to him, although the blossom fade

In the full splendour of his noontide power?”

And one, “If aloes close together grow

It well may chance a plant shall wounded be,

Pierced by the thorntips of another’s leaves,

Thus am I hurt unconsciously by thee.”

For some shall die and many more shall sin,

Suffering for thy sake till seven times seven,

Because of those most perfect lips of thine

Which held the power to make or mar their heaven.

And though thou givest back but cruelty,

Their love, persistent, shall not heed nor care,

All those whose ears are fed with blame of thee

Shall say, “It may be so, but he was fair.”

Ay, those who lost the whole of youth for thee,

Made early and for ever, shamed and sad,

Shall sigh, re-living some sweet memory,

“Ah, once it was his will to make me glad.”

Thy nights shall be as bright as summer days,

The sequence of thy sins shall seem as duty,

Since I have given thee, Oh, Gift of Gifts!–

The pale perfection of unrivalled beauty.

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Poems in English 

• София Парнок – Ты помнишь коридорчик узенький by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Триолеты by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Тихо плачу и пою by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Сегодня с неба день поспешней by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Рондель by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Он ходит с женщиной в светлом by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Об одной лошаденке чалой by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Кипящий звук неторопливых арб by София Парнок
• София Парнок – И голос окликнул тебя среди ночи by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Газэлы by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Екатерине Гельцер by София Парнок
• София Парнок – Белой ночью by София Парнок
• Шекспир – Ты утоляешь мой голодный взор – Сонет 75 by William Shakespeare
• Шекспир – Запечатленный в слове лик твой милый – Сонет 59 by William Shakespeare
• Шекспир – Сонет 50 by William Shakespeare
• Шекспир – Я так тебя люблю – Сонет 36 by William Shakespeare
• Шекспир – Я не хочу хвалить любовь мою – Сонет 21 by William Shakespeare
• Шекспир – Я лью потоки горьких слез – Сонет 44 by William Shakespeare
• Шекспир – Я дорого ценю любовь твою – Сонет 87 by William Shakespeare
• Шекспир – Весну не перельешь в хрусталь – Сонет 6 by William Shakespeare

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