Bathing River

The fish around her crowded, as they do

To the false light that treacherous fisher shew,

And all with as much ease might taken be,

As she at first took me;

For ne’er did light so clear

Among the waves appear,

Though every night the sun himself set there.

Why to mute fish shouldst thou thyself discover

And not to me, thy no less silent lover?

As some from men their buried gold commit

To ghosts, that have no use of it;

Half their rich treasures so

Maids bury; and for aught we know,

(Poor ignorants!) They’re mermaids all below.

The amorous waves would fain about her stay,

But still new amorous waves drive them away,

And with swift current to those joys they haste

That do as swiftly waste:

I laugh’d the wanton play to view;

But ‘t is, alas! at land so too,

And still old lovers yield the place to new.

Kiss her, and as you part, you amorous waves

(My happier rivals, and my fellow-slaves)

Point to your flowery banks, and to her shew

The good your bounties do;

Then tell her what your pride doth cost,

And how your use and beauty’s lost,

When rigorous winter binds you up with frost.

Tell her, her beauties and her youth, like thee,

Haste without stop to a devouring sea;

Where they will mix’d and undistinguish’d lie

With all the meanest things that die;

As in the ocean thou

No privilege dost know

Above th’ impurest streams that thither flow.

Tell her, kind flood! When this has made her sad,

Tell her there’s yet one remedy to be had;

Show her how thou, though long since past, dost find

Thyself yet still behind:

Marriage (say to her) will bring

About the self-same thing.

But she, fond maid, shuts and seals-up the spring.

Poetry Monster – Home

A few random poems:

External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Жан де Лафонтен – Садовод и Помещик by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Пьяница и Жена его by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Предостережение богов Симониду by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Павлин, жалующийся Юноне by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Осел со священной ношей by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Осел и Собака by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Орел и Сова by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Орел, Дикая Свинья и Кошка by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Обезьяна и Дельфин by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Мужчина средних лет и его две Возлюбленные by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Мельник, Сын его и Осел by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Львиный указ by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Лисица, Мухи и Еж by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Лисица и Аист by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Лев, сраженный Человеком by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Лес и Дровосек by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Ласочка в амбаре by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Кошка, превращенная в женщину by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Карман by Jean de La Fontaine
• Жан де Лафонтен – Городская и полевая Крысы by Jean de La Fontaine

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

Dealing Monster

Doska or the Board – write anything

Search engines:

Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

Parallel Translations of Poetry

Poems by Author and Category

The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works