The little Love-god lying once asleep...
Sonnet 154The little Love-god lying once asleep
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand, Whilst many nymphs that vow'd chaste life to keep Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand The fairest votary took up that fire Which many legions of true hearts had warm'd; And so the general of hot desire Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarm'd. This brand she quenched in a cool well by, Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual, Growing a bath and healthful remedy For men diseased; but I, my mistress' thrall, Came there for cure, and this by that I prove, Love's fire heats water, water cools not love. |
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Once
when the god of love lay sleeping, with his bow and arrow by his side, a group
of virgins came by and found him. The most beautiful of them stole his hot
love-fuelled arrow. This is how the bringer of hot lust was disarmed by a
virgin. She dipped the arrow in a cool nearby spring, which took the heat and
became a healing hot spring. But I, slave to my mistress, tried its cures and
found this truth: love may heat water but water can’t cool love.