Greek Goodbye

I

Farewell Oh fairest Love,

Farewell I say to thee!

For I cannot hold you any longer

Far-aching thorn in flesh for me

Phoebus comes, Selene replaces;

Mother earth shows many faces,

But thou remain, thou seem endless,

Thy beauty, thy radiance, thy caress.

Thou art the swan of Aphrodite,

For surely Olympus favored thee.

Pygmalion would forsake Galatea.

Other graces, thou gained from Hera.

II

But Oh lovely nymph,

Others sought you as a Golden Fleece

For Cupid shot myriads of arrows.

It landed where no one can follow.

And I am but a poor little fellow

Victim of this scheme so hallow.

Scores of heroes boarded Argo

With but one goal, that is to have you.

Winning thee is beyond my ken,

Might as well rest in Hades’ den.

For brave Jason I am not;

Nor Narcissus quite bold and hot;

Nor as shrew as Hermes is;

Nor as kaleidoscopic as fair Iris.

III

To Persephone I now send thee

Flow bitter-sweet Love on Lethe

But I swear by the river Styx

This love though banished does not subsist.

Only to hinder, to hide it in the depths,

Together in the underworld with Adonis.

For love so noble and great,

Even the gods will not forsake.

For love so true and tender,

Should survive forever and ever.

Though time will surely come

For it to falter, to waver.

Farewell O fairest Love

Farewell I say to thee

Your heart tarnished with my memory

Is now set a-free.

Advertisement