Ernest Dowson (1867-1900)
Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae
1Last night, ah, yesternight, betwixt her lips and mine
2There fell thy shadow, Cynara! thy breath was shed
3Upon my soul between the kisses and the wine;
4And I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
5 Yea, I was desolate and bowed my head:
6I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
7All night upon mine heart I felt her warm heart beat,
8Night-long within mine arms in love and sleep she lay;
9Surely the kisses of her bought red mouth were sweet;
10But I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
11 When I awoke and found the dawn was gray;
12I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
13I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind,
14Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng,
15Dancing, to put thy pale, lost lilies out of mind;
16But I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
17 Yea, all the time, because the dance was long;
18I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
19I cried for madder music and for stronger wine,
20But when the feast is finished and the lamps expire,
21Then falls thy shadow, Cynara! the night is thine;
22And I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
23 Yea hungry for the lips of my desire:
24I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
Notes
1] The Latin title is from the opening of Horace's Odes, Book 4.1:
Intermissa, Venus, diu
rursus bella moues? Parce precor, precor.
Non sum qualis eram bonae
sub regno Cinarae.
(translated by John Conington [London: G. Bell, 1909] as “Yet again thou wak'st the flame /
That long had slumber'd! Spare me, Venus, spare! /
Trust me, I am not the same /
As in the reign of Cinara, kind and fair").
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: Ernest Dowson, Verses (London:Leonard Smithers, 1896): 17-18. del D696 A155 1896 Fisher Rare Book Library
First publication date:
1896
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 1996-2000.
Recent editing: 2:2002/4/18*1:2005/1/2
Rhyme: abadbd
Other poems by Ernest Dowson
