| Libera Me |
| |
Goddess the laughter-loving, Aphrodite, befriend!
Long have I served thine altars, serve me now at
the end,
Let me have peace of thee, truce of thee, golden
one, send.
|
| |
Heart of my heart have I offered thee, pain of my
pain,
Yielding my life for the love of thee into thy chain;
Lady and goddess be merciful, loose me again.
|
| |
All things I had that were fairest, my dearest and
best,
Fed the fierce flames on thine altar: ah, surely, my
breast
Shrined thee alone among goddesses, spurning the
rest.
|
| |
Blossom of youth thou hast plucked of me, flower
of my days;
Stinted I nought in thine honouring, walked in
thy ways,
Song of my soul pouring out to thee, all in thy
praise.
|
| |
Fierce was the flame while it lasted, and strong
was thy wine,
Meet for immortals that die not, for throats such
as thine,
Too fierce for bodies of mortals, too potent for
mine.
|
| |
Blossom and bloom hast thou taken, now render
to me
Ashes of life that remain to me, few though they
be,
Truce of the love of thee, Cyprian, let me go free.
|
| |
Goddess the laughter-loving, Aphrodite, restore
Life to the limbs of me, liberty, hold me no more
Having the first-fruits and flower of me, cast me
the core.
|