Part III
On their steeds the ladies ride,Two fair girls and slender;Modest are their eyes and mild,And their cheeks are tender.Thus young lilies break the sheath,Budding roses renderBlushes, and twinned pairs of starsClimb the heavens with splendour.
Toward Love's Paradise they fare,Such, I ween, their will is;While the strife between the pairTurns their cheeks to lilies;Phyllis Flora flouts, and fairFlora flouteth Phyllis;Flora's hand a hawk doth bear,And a goshawk Phyllis.
After a short space they cameWhere a grove was growing;At the entrance of the sameRills with murmur flowing;There the wind with myrrh and spiceRedolent was blowing,Sounds of timbrel, harp, and lyreThrough the branches going.
All the music man could makeThere they heard in plenty;Timbrel, psaltery, lyre, and lute,Harp and viol dainty;Voices that in part-song meetChoiring forte, lente;Sounds the diatesseron,Sounds the diapente.
All the tongues of all the birdsWith full cry were singing;There the blackbird's melodySweet and true was ringing;Wood-dove, lark, and thrush on highJocund anthems flinging,With the nightingale, who stillTo her grief was clinging.
When the girls drew nigh the grove,Some fear came upon them;Further as they fared, the charmOf the pleasance won them;All the birds so sweetly sangThat a spell was on them,And their bosoms warmed with loveAt the welcome shown them.
Man would be immortal ifHe could there be dwelling:Every branch on every treeWith ripe fruit is swelling;All the ways with nard and myrrhAnd with spice are smelling:How divine the Master isAll the house is telling.
Blithesome bands arrest their gaze,Youths and maidens dancing;Bodies beauteous as the stars,Eyes with heaven's light glancingAnd the bosoms of the girls,At the sight entrancing,Leap to view such marvels new,Joy with joy enhancing!
They their horses check, and light,Moved with sudden pleasure;Half forget what brought them here,Thralled by love and leisure;Till once more the nightingaleTuned her thrilling measure;At that cry each girl againHugs her hidden treasure.
Round the middle of the groveWas a place enchanted,Which the god for his own ritesSpecially had planted;Fauns and nymphs and satyrs hereFlowery alleys haunted,And before the face of LovePlayed and leaped and chaunted.
In their hands they carry thyme,Crowns of fragrant roses;Bacchus leads the choir divineAnd the dance composes;Nymphs and fauns with feet in tuneInterchange their posies;But Silenus trips and reelsWhen the chorus closes.
On an ass the elder borneAll the mad crew guideth;Mirth and laughter at the viewThrough Love's glad heart glideth."Io!" shouts the eld; that soundIn his throat subsideth,For his voice in wine is drowned,And his old age chideth.
'Mid these pleasant sights appearsLove, the young joy-giver;Bright as stars his eyes, and wingsOn his shoulders shiver;In his left hand is the bow,At his side the quiver;From his state the world may knowHe is lord for ever.
Leans the boy upon a staffIntertwined with flowers,Scent of nectar from his hairBreathes around the bowers;Hand in hand before him kneelThree celestial Hours,Graces who Love's goblet fillFrom immortal showers.
Words in this poem 21
- twinned a.
- Composed of parts united according to a law of twinning. See Twin, n., 4.
- splendour n.
- Great brightness; brilliant luster; brilliancy; as, the splendor ot the sun. B. Jonson. [L. fr. splendere to shine: cf. F. splendeur.]
- ween v. i.
- To think; to imagine; to fancy. [OE. wenen, AS. w, fr. w hope, expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w, OS. & OHG. wan, G. wahn delusion, Icel. van hope, expectation, Goth. w, and D. w]
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
- flora n.
- The goddess of flowers and spring. [L., the goddess of flowers, from flos, floris, flower. See Flower.]
- redolent a.
- Diffusing odor or fragrance; spreading sweet scent; scented; odorous; smelling; -- usually followed by of. [L. redolens, -entis, p. pr. of redolere to emit a scent, diffuse an odor; pref. red-, re-, re- + olere to emit a smell. See Odor.]
- timbrel n.
- A kind of drum, tabor, or tabret, in use from the highest antiquity. [Dim. of OE. timbre, OF. timbre; probably fr. L. typmanum, Gr. tabl a drum; cf. Per. tambal a drum. See Tympanum, and cf. 2d Timbre, Tymbal.]
- psaltery n.
- A stringed instrument of music used by the Hebrews, the form of which is not known. [OE. sautrie, OF. psalterie, F. psaltérion, L. psalterium psaltery, psalter, from Gr. Psalm, Psalter.]
- dainty n.
- Value; estimation; the gratification or pleasure taken in anything. [OE. deinie, dainte, deintie, deyntee, OF. deintié delicacy, orig., dignity, honor, fr. L. dignitas, fr. dignus worthy. See Deign, and cf. Dignity.]
- forte n.
- The strong point; that in which one excels. fort"a The construction of a fable seems by no means the forte of our modern poetical writers. Jeffrey. [IT. forte: cf. F. fort. See Fort.]
- diapente n.
- The interval of the fifth. [L., fr. Gr. diapente.]
- jocund
- Merry; cheerful; gay; airy; lively; sportive. [L. jocundus, jucundus, orig., helpful, fr. juvare to help. See Aid.]
- pleasance n.
- Pleasure; merriment; gayety; delight; kindness. [F. plaisance. See Please.]
- nard n.
- An East Indian plant (Nardostachys Jatamansi) of the Valerian family, used from remote ages in Oriental perfumery. [AS., fr. L. nardus, Gr. nêrd, Per. nard, Scr. nalada.]
- blithesome a.
- Cheery; gay; merry.
- beauteous a.
- Full of beauty; beautiful; very handsome. [Mostly poetic] -- Beau"te*ous*ly, adv. --
- glancing a.
- Shooting, as light.
- thrilling a.
- Causing a thrill; causing tremulous excitement; deeply moving; as, a thrilling romance.
- enchanted a.
- Under the power of enchantment; possessed or exercised by enchanters; as, an enchanted castle.
- haunted a.
- Inhabited by, or subject to the visits of, apparitions; frequented by a ghost.
- kneel v. i.
- To bend the knee; to fall or rest on the knees; -- sometimes with down. [OE. knelen, cneolien; akin to D. knielen, Dan. knæle. See Knee.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Part III is in the public domain. This text is taken from Wine, Women, and Song Mediaeval Latin Students' songs; Now first translated into English verse, Project Gutenberg ebook #18044; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: John Addington Symonds, Part III, in Wine, Women and Song (1884), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #18044, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/symonds-wine-women/part-iii.html, id L11836.
Form and metre
Part III is 112 lines in 14 stanzas of 8 lines each. The metre is trochaic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 92%). 96% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 6.6 syllables. 49 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 37% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in trochaic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 -A-A-A-A ride · slenderA · mild · tenderA · sheath · renderA · stars · splendourA
- 2 ABABACAC fareA · isB · pairA · liliesB · fairA · phyllisC · bearA · phyllisC
- 3 ABAB-B-B cameA · growingB · sameA · flowingB · spice · blowingB · lyre · goingB
- 4 -A---A-A make · plentyA · lute · dainty · meet · lenteA · diatesseron · diapenteA
- 5 -A-A-A-A birds · singingA · melody · ringingA · high · flingingA · still · clingingA
- 6 -A-A-A-A grove · themA · charm · themA · sang · themA · love · themA
- 7 -A-A-A-A if · dwellingA · tree · swellingA · myrrh · smellingA · is · tellingA
- 8 -A-A---A gaze · dancingA · stars · glancingA · girls · entrancing · new · enhancingA
- 9 -A-A-A-A light · pleasureA · here · leisureA · nightingale · measureA · again · treasureA
- 10 -A-A-B-B grove · enchantedA · rites · plantedA · here · hauntedB · love · chauntedB
- 11 -A-A---A thyme · rosesA · divine · composesA · tune · posies · reels · closesA
- 12 -A-ABABA borne · guidethA · view · glidethA · soundB · subsidethA · drownedB · chidethA
- 13 -A-ABAB- appears · giverA · wings · shiverA · bowB · quiverA · knowB · ever
- 14 -A-A-A-A staff · flowersA · hair · bowersA · kneel · hoursA · fill · showersA
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| On their steeds the ladies ride, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Two fair girls and slender; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Modest are their eyes and mild, | 7 | /˘····· |
| And their cheeks are tender. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Thus young lilies break the sheath, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Budding roses render | 6 | /˘/˘/˘ |
| Blushes, and twinned pairs of stars | 7 | /˘····· |
| Climb the heavens with splendour. | 7 | ··/˘·/˘ |
| Toward Love's Paradise they fare, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Such, I ween, their will is; | 6 | ······ |
| While the strife between the pair | 7 | ······· |
| Turns their cheeks to lilies; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Phyllis Flora flouts, and fair | 7 | /˘/˘··· |
| Flora flouteth Phyllis; | 6 | /˘/˘/˘ |
| Flora's hand a hawk doth bear, | 7 | /˘····· |
| And a goshawk Phyllis. | 6 | ··/·/˘ |
| After a short space they came | 7 | ······· |
| Where a grove was growing; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| At the entrance of the same | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Rills with murmur flowing; | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| There the wind with myrrh and spice | 7 | ······· |
| Redolent was blowing, | 6 | /˘˘·/˘ |
| Sounds of timbrel, harp, and lyre | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Through the branches going. | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| All the music man could make | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| There they heard in plenty; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Timbrel, psaltery, lyre, and lute, | 8 | /˘/˘˘··· |
| Harp and viol dainty; | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| Voices that in part-song meet | 7 | /˘····· |
| Choiring forte, lente; | 6 | /˘˘/˘· |
| Sounds the diatesseron, | 6 | ······ |
| Sounds the diapente. | 4 | ···· |
| All the tongues of all the birds | 7 | ······· |
| With full cry were singing; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| There the blackbird's melody | 7 | ··/˘/˘˘ |
| Sweet and true was ringing; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Wood-dove, lark, and thrush on high | 7 | ······· |
| Jocund anthems flinging, | 6 | /˘/˘/˘ |
| With the nightingale, who still | 7 | ··/˘˘·· |
| To her grief was clinging. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| When the girls drew nigh the grove, | 7 | ······· |
| Some fear came upon them; | 6 | ······ |
| Further as they fared, the charm | 7 | /˘····· |
| Of the pleasance won them; | 6 | ··/˘·· |
| All the birds so sweetly sang | 7 | ····/˘· |
| That a spell was on them, | 6 | ······ |
| And their bosoms warmed with love | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| At the welcome shown them. | 6 | ··/˘·· |
| Man would be immortal if | 7 | ···˘/˘· |
| He could there be dwelling: | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Every branch on every tree | 7 | /˘··/˘· |
| With ripe fruit is swelling; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| All the ways with nard and myrrh | 7 | ······· |
| And with spice are smelling: | 6 | ····/˘ |
| How divine the Master is | 7 | ·˘/·/˘· |
| All the house is telling. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Blithesome bands arrest their gaze, | 7 | /˘·˘/·· |
| Youths and maidens dancing; | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| Bodies beauteous as the stars, | 8 | /˘/˘˘··· |
| Eyes with heaven's light glancing | 7 | ··/˘·/˘ |
| And the bosoms of the girls, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| At the sight entrancing, | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| Leap to view such marvels new, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Joy with joy enhancing! | 6 | ···˘/˘ |
| They their horses check, and light, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Moved with sudden pleasure; | 7 | ·˘·/˘/˘ |
| Half forget what brought them here, | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| Thralled by love and leisure; | 7 | ·˘···/˘ |
| Till once more the nightingale | 7 | ····/˘˘ |
| Tuned her thrilling measure; | 7 | ·˘·/˘/˘ |
| At that cry each girl again | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Hugs her hidden treasure. | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| Round the middle of the grove | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Was a place enchanted, | 6 | ···˘/˘ |
| Which the god for his own rites | 7 | ······· |
| Specially had planted; | 6 | /˘˘·/˘ |
| Fauns and nymphs and satyrs here | 7 | ······· |
| Flowery alleys haunted, | 7 | /˘˘/˘/˘ |
| And before the face of Love | 7 | ······· |
| Played and leaped and chaunted. | 7 | ·˘····· |
| In their hands they carry thyme, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Crowns of fragrant roses; | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| Bacchus leads the choir divine | 7 | /˘··/˘/ |
| And the dance composes; | 6 | ···˘/˘ |
| Nymphs and fauns with feet in tune | 7 | ······· |
| Interchange their posies; | 5 | ·˘/·· |
| But Silenus trips and reels | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
| When the chorus closes. | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| On an ass the elder borne | 7 | ····/˘· |
| All the mad crew guideth; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Mirth and laughter at the view | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Through Love's glad heart glideth. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| "Io!" shouts the eld; that sound | 7 | /˘····· |
| In his throat subsideth, | 6 | ···˘/˘ |
| For his voice in wine is drowned, | 7 | ······· |
| And his old age chideth. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| 'Mid these pleasant sights appears | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| Love, the young joy-giver; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Bright as stars his eyes, and wings | 7 | ······· |
| On his shoulders shiver; | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| In his left hand is the bow, | 7 | ······· |
| At his side the quiver; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| From his state the world may know | 7 | ······· |
| He is lord for ever. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Leans the boy upon a staff | 7 | ······· |
| Intertwined with flowers, | 7 | ˘˘/˘·/˘ |
| Scent of nectar from his hair | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Breathes around the bowers; | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Hand in hand before him kneel | 7 | ······· |
| Three celestial Hours, | 6 | ·˘/˘/˘ |
| Graces who Love's goblet fill | 7 | /˘··/˘· |
| From immortal showers. | 6 | ·˘/˘/˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.