Pygmalion spoke and sang to Galatea Who keeping to her pedestal in doubt Of these new qualities, blood, bones and breath, Nor yet relaxing her accustomed poise, Her Parian rigour, though alive and burning, Heard out his melody: "As you are woman, so be lovely: Fine hair afloat and eyes irradiate, Long crafty fingers, fearless carriage, And body lissom, neither small nor tall; "As you are lovely, so be merciful: Yet must your mercy abstain from pity: Prize your self-honour, leaving me with mine: Love if you will: or stay stone-frozen. So be merciful! "As you are merciful, so be constant: I ask not you should mask your comeliness, Yet keep our love aloof and strange, Keep it from gluttonous eyes, from stairway gossip. So be constant! "As you are constant, so be various: Love comes to sloth without variety. Within the limits of our fair-paved garden Let fancy like a Proteus range and change. So be various! "As you are various, so be woman: Graceful in going as well armed in doing. Be witty, kind, enduring, unsubjected: Without you I keep heavy house. So be woman! "As you are woman, so be lovely: As you are lovely, so be various, Merciful as constant, constant as various, So be mine, as I yours for ever." Then as the singing ceased and the lyre ceased, Down stepped proud Galatea with a sigh. "Pygmalion, as you woke me from the stone, So shall I you from bonds of sullen flesh. Lovely I am, merciful I shall prove: Woman I am, constant as various, Not marble-hearted but your own true love. Give me an equal kiss, as I kiss you." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...OF A BAD SINGER; EPIGRAM by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE TRANSFORMATIONS by THOMAS HARDY TO WORDSWORTH by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS DEWEY IN MANILA BAY [MAY 1, 1898] by RICHARD VORHEES RISLEY MEN OF GENIUS by MATTHEW ARNOLD THERE IS NO LOVING AFTER DEATH by ASCLEPIADES OF SAMOS BOTHWELL: PART 6 by WILLIAM EDMONSTOUNE AYTOUN A DIALOGUE (TO BE SUNG TO THE VIOL, BY A BASE, AND A TREBLE) by JOSEPH BEAUMONT |