The Hesperides & Noble Numbers/Appendix of Epigrams/The Vine

by Robert Herrick

41. THE VINE.

I dreamt this mortal part of mine
Was metamorphos'd to a vine;
Which crawling one and every way
Enthrall'd my dainty Lucia.
Methought, her long small legs and thighs
I with my tendrils did surprise;

Her belly, buttocks, and her waistBy my soft nerv'lets were embrac'd;About her head I writhing hung,$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$And with rich clusters, hid amongThe leaves, her temples I behung:So that my Lucia seem'd to meYoung Bacchus ravish'd by his tree.My curls about her neck did crawl,And arms and hands they did enthrall:So that she could not freely stir,All parts there made one prisoner.But when I crept with leaves to hideThose parts, which maids keep unespy'd,Such fleeting pleasures there I took,That with the fancy I awoke;And found, ah me! this flesh of mineMore like a stock than like a vine.