Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE TRAGICAL HISTORIE OF PYRAMUS AND THISBE, by ABRAHAM COWLEY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE TRAGICAL HISTORIE OF PYRAMUS AND THISBE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Where babilon's high walls erected were
Last Line: And their earth to earth againe.
Subject(s): Tragedy


WHere Babilon's high Walls erected were
By mighty NINVS wife; two houses joyn'd.
One THISBE liv'd in, PIRAMVS the faire
In th' other: Earth ne're boasted such a paire.
The very sencelesse walls themselves combin'd,
And grew in one; Just like their Master's minde.

THISBE all other women did excell,
The Queene of Love, lesse lovely was then shee:
And PIRAMVS more sweet then tongue can tell,
Nature grew proud in framing them so well.
But VENVS enuying they so faire should bee,
Bids her sonne CVPID shew his crueltie.

The all-subduing God his bow did bend,
And doth prepare his most remorslesse dart,
Which he vnseene vnto theyr hearts did send,
And so was Loue the cause of Beautie's end.
But could he see, he had not wrought theyr smart;
For pity sure, would haue o'recome his heart.

Like as a bird which in a net is taine,
By strugling more entangles in the ginne,
So they who in Loue's Laborinth remaine,
With striuing neuer can a freedome gaine:
The way to enter's broad; but being in,
No art, no labour can an exit win.

These Louers, though theyr parents did reproue
Their fires, and watch'd their deedes with iealousie,
Though in these stormes no comfort could remoue
The various doubts and feares that coole hot loue:
Though he nor hers, nor she his face could see,
Yet this did not abolish Loue's decree.

For age had crackd the wall which did them part,
This the vnanimate couple soone did spye,
And heere their inward sorrowes did impart,
Vnlading the sad burthen of theyr heart.
Though Loue be blind, this shewes he can discrie
A way to lessen his own misery.

Oft to the friendly cranny they resort,
And feede themselues with the coelestiall ayre
Of odoriferous breath; no other sport
They could enioy, yet thinke the time but short:
And wish that it again renewed were,
To sucke each other's breath for euer there.

Sometimes they did exclaime against theyr fate,
And sometimes they accus'd imperiall JOVE;
Sometimes repent theyr flames: but all too late;
The arrow could not be recald; theyr state
Ordained was first by IUPITER aboue,
And CUPID had appointed they should loue.

They curst the wall that did theyr kisses part,
And to the stones theyr dolorous words they sent,
As if they saw the sorrow of theyr heart,
And by their teares could vnderstand theyr smart:
But it was hard, and knew not what they ment,
Nor with theyr sighs (alas) would it relent.

This in effect they sayd; Curs'd wall, O why
Wilt thou our bodies seuer, whose true loue
Breakes thorow all thy flinty cruelty:
For both our soules so closely joyned lie,
That nought but angry Death can them remoue,
And though he part them, yet they'l meet aboue.

Abortiue teares from their faire-eyes straight flow'd,
And dimm'd the lovely splendor of their sight,
Which seem'd like TITAN, whilst some watry Cloud
O're-spreads his face, and his bright beames doth shrowd
Till VESPER chas'd away the conquered light,
And forceth them (though loath) to bid Good night.

But e're AURORA Vsher to the Day,
Began with welcome lustre to appeare,
The Lovers rise, and at that crannie they
Thus to each other, their thoughts open lay:
With many a Sith, many a speaking Teare,
Whose griefe the pitying Morning blusht to heare.

Dear Love (quoth PIRAMVS) how long shall wee
Like fairest Flowers, not gather'd in their Prime,
Waste precious youth, and let advantage flee,
Till we bewaile (at last) our Crueltye
Vpon our selves, for Beauty though it shine
Like Day, will quickly find an Evening time.

Therefore (sweet THISBE) let vs meet this night
At NINUS Tombe, without the City wall,
Vnder the Mulberrie-tree, with Berries white
Abounding, there t' enjoy our wish'd delight.
For mounting Love stoppt in his course, doth fall,
And long'd for yet vntasted Ioy, kills all.

What though our cruell parents angry bee?
What though our friends (alas) are too vnkind?
Time now propitious may anon deny,
And soone hold backe fit opportunity.
Who lets slip Fortune, her shall never find.
Occasion once pass'd by, is bald behind.

She soone agreed to that which he requir'd,
For little Wooing needs, where both consent?
What he so long had pleased, she desir'd:
Which VENVS seeing, with blind Chance conspir'd
And many a charming accent to her sent,
That she (at last) would frustrate their intent.

Thus Beauty is by Beautie's meanes vndone,
Striuing to close these eyes that make her bright;
Iust like the Moone, which seekes t' eclipse the Sun,
Whence all her splendor, all her beames doe come:
So she, who fetcheth lustre from theyr sight,
Doth purpose to destroy theyr glorious light.

Vnto the Mulberrie-tree sweet THISBE came;
Where hauing rested long (at last) she 'gan
Against her PIRAMVS for to exclaime,
Whilst various thoughts turmoile her troubled braine.
And imitating thus the Silver Swan,
A little while before Death shee sang.

The SONG.

COme Love, why stayest thou? The night
Will vanish, e're wee taste delight:
The Moone obscures her selfe from sight,
Thou absent, whose eyes give her light.

Come quickly Deare, be briefe as time,
Or we by Morne shall be o'retane,
Love's Ioy's thine owne as well as mine,
Spend not therefore, time in vaine.

Heere doubtfull thoughts broke off her pleasant Song,
Against her Loue; for staying, shee gan crie,
Her PIRAMVS shee thought did tarry long,
And that his absence did her too much wrong,
Then betwixt longing hope, and Jealousie,
She feares, yet's loth, to tax his loyaltie.

Sometimes she thinkes, that he hath her forsaken;
Sometimes, that danger hath befallen to him;
She feares that he another loue hath taken;
Which being but imagin'd soone doth waken
Numberlesse thoughts, which on her heart doe fling
Feares, that her future fate too truely sing.

While shee thus musing sate, ranne from the wood
An angry Lyon to the cristal Springs,
Near to that place; who coming from his food,
His chaps were all besmear'd with crimson bloud:
Swifter then thought, Sweet THISBE straight begins
To flye from him; feare gaue her Swallowes' wings.

As she auoids the Lion, her desire
Bids her to stay, lest PIRAMVS should come,
And be deuour'd by the sterne Lion's ire,
So shee for euer burne in vnquench'd fire:
But feare expells all reasons; shee doth run
Into a darksome Cave, nee're seene by Sun.

With hast she let her looser Mantle fall:
Which when th' enraged Lion did espie,
With bloody teeth he tore 't, in peices small,
Whilst THISBE ran and look'd not backe at all.
For could the sencelesse beast her face descrie,
It had not done her such an injury.

The night halfe wasted, PIRAMVS did come;
Who seeing printed in the subtil sand
The Lion's paw, and by the fountaine some
Of THISBE'S garment, sorrow strooke him dumbe:
Just like a marble statue did hee stand,
Cut by some skilfull grauer's cunning hand.

Recovering breath, 'gainst Fate he gan t' exclayme,
Washing with teares the torne and bloudy weed:
I may, sayd hee, my selfe for her death blame;
Therefore my bloud shall wash away that shame:
Since shee is dead, whose Beauty doth exceed
All that fraile man can eyther heare or read.

This spoke, he his sharpe Sword drew, and sayd;
Receive thou my red bloud, as a due debt
Vnto thy constant Love, to which 'tis payd:
I straight will meet thee in the pleasant shade
Of coole Elysium; where wee being met,
Shall taste the Ioyes, that here we could not get.

Then thorow his brest thrusting his sword, life hies
From him, and he makes hast to seeke his faire.
And as vpon the crimsen'd ground hee lies,
His blood spirt'd vp vpon the Mulberries:
With which th' unspotted berries stained were,
And ever since with Red they colour'd are.

At last, came THISBE from the den, for feare
Of disappointing PYRAMUS, being she
Was bound by promise, for to meete him there:
But when she saw the berries changed were
From white to blacke, she knew not certainely
It was the place where they agreed to be.

With what delight from the darke cause she came,
Thinking to tell how she escap'd the beast;
But when she saw her PIRAMVS lie slaine
In what perplexity did she sad remaine:
She teares her Golden haire, and beates her brest,
All signes of raging sorrow she exprest.

She cries 'gainst mighty JOVE, and then doth take
His bleeding body from the moist'ned ground.
She kisses his pale face, till she doth make
It red with kissing, and then seekes to wake
His parting soule with mournfull words, and 's wound
Washes with teares, which her sweet speech confound:

But afterwards recovering breath, quoth shee,
(Alas) what chance hath parted thee and I?
O tell what euill hath befallen to thee,
That of thy Death I may a Partner bee:
Tell THISBE, what hath caus'd this Tragedie.
He hearing THISBE'S name, lifts vp his eye.

And on his Love he rais'd his dying head:
Where striving long for breath (at last) sayd hee,
O THISBE, I am hasting to the dead,
And cannot heale that Wound my feare hath bred:
Farewell, sweet THISBE, wee must parted bee,
For angry Death will force me goe from Thee.

Life did from him, hee from his Mistriss part,
Leaving his Love to languish heere in woe.
What shall shee doe? How shall she ease her heart?
Or with what language speake her inward smart?
Vsurping passion reason doth o'reflow,
Shee sweares that with her PYRAMVS she'l goe.

Then takes the Sword where with her Love was slayne,
With PYRAMVS his crimson bloud warme still;
And sayd, Oh stay, (blest Soule) that so wee twaine
May goe together, where wee shall remaine
In endlesse Ioyes, and neuer feare the ill
Of grudging Friends; Then she her selfe did kill.

To tell what griefe their Parents did sustaine,
Were more then my rude Quill can overcome:
Many a teare they spent, but all in vaine,
For weeping calls not back the dead againe.
They both were layed in one Grave, life done,
And these few words were writ vpon the Tombe.

EPITAPH.

UNderneath this Marble stone,
Lie two Beauties joyn'd in one.

Two whose Loves, Death could not sever,
For both liv'd both dy'd together.

Two whose Soules, being too divine
For earth, in their own Spheare now shine,

Who have left their loves to Fame,
And their earth to earth againe.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net