艾拉·惠勒·威尔科克斯

在这里你会发现长诗已婚的风骚女郎诗人艾拉·惠勒·威尔科克斯

已婚的风骚女郎

坐着别动,我说,别逞英雄了!我弄伤了你的手腕?好吧,你伤害了我。是时候让你发现所有的男人都不是坚忍的,也不是随你的心情而摆布的玩具。我必不松开你的手、也不撇下你、直等我说话。你说,以前没有人敢这样对你?我相信你,因为直到今天你只和男孩打交道。你们女人强调你们的敏锐,你们的直觉被人吹嘘;你声称对事物有一种神秘的概念,人们必须通过推理才能弄清楚。所以,当然,当你亲切地问我“不久再来”时,你读懂了我的心。 I cannot believe you were acting blindly; You saw my passion for you from the start. You are one of those women who charm without trying; The clay you are made of is magnet ore, And I am the steel; yet, there's no denying You led me to loving you more and more. You are fanning a flame that may burn too brightly, Oft easily kindled, but hard to put out; I am not a man to be played with lightly, To come at a gesture and go at a pout. A brute you call me, a creature inhuman; You say I insult you, and bid me go. And you? Oh, you are a saintly woman, With thoughts as pure as the drifted snow. Pah! you are but one of a thousand beauties Who think they are living exemplary lives. They break no commandments, and do all their duties As Christian women and spotless wives. But with drooping of lids, and lifting of faces, And baring of shoulders, and well-timed sighs, And the devil knows what other subtle graces, You are mental wantons, who sin with the eyes. You lure love to wake, yet bid it keep under, You tempt us to fall, but bid reason control; And then you are full of an outraged wonder When we get to wanting you, body and soul. Why, look at yourself! You were no stranger To the fact that my heart was already on fire. When you asked me to call you knew my danger, Yet here you are, dressed in the gown I admire; For half of the evil on earth is invented By vain, pretty women with nothing to do But to keep themselves manicured, powdered and scented, And seek for sensations amusing and new. But when I play at love at a lady's commanding, I always am certain to win one game; So there-there-there! I will leave my branding On the lips that are free now to cry 'Shame, shame!' You hate me? Quite likely! It does not surprise me. Brute force? I confess it; but still you were kissed; And one thing is certain-you cannot despise me For having been played with, controlled, and dismissed. And the next time you see that a man is attracted By the beauty and graces that are not for him, Don't lead him on to be half distracted; Keep out of deep waters although you can swim. For when he is caught in the whirlpool of passion, Where many bold swimmers are seen to drown, A man will reach out and, in desperate fashion, Will drag whoever is nearest him down. Though the strings of his heart may be wrenched and riven By a maiden coquette who has led him along, She can be pardoned, excused and forgiven, For innocence blindfolded walks into wrong. But she who has willingly taken the fetter That Cupid forges at Hymen's command- Well, she is the woman who ought to know better; She needs no mercy at any man's hand. In the game of hearts, though a woman be winner, The odds are ever against her, you know; The world is ready to call her a sinner, And man is ready to make her so. Shame is likely, and sorrow is certain, And the man has the best of it, end as it may. So now, my lady, we'll drop the curtain, And put out the lights. We are through with our play.