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Elegia VI. In mortem psittaci. - Christopher Marlowe, The Works of Christopher Marlowe, vol. 3 (Poems) [1598]

Edition used:

The Works of Christopher Marlowe, ed. A.H. Bullen (London: John C. Nimmo, 1885). Vol. 3.

Part of: The Works of Christopher Marlowe, 3 vols.

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Elegia VI.3
In mortem psittaci.

  • The parrot, from East India to me sent,4
  • Is dead; all fowls her exequies frequent!
  • Go godly5 birds, striking your breast, bewail,
  • And with rough claws your tender cheeks assail.
  • For woful hairs let piece-torn plumes abound,
  • For long shrild6 trumpets let your notes resound.
  • Why, Philomel, dost Tereus' lewdness mourn?
  • All-wasting years have that complaint now7 worn.
  • Thy tunes let this rare bird's sad funeral borrow;
  • Itys1 a great, but ancient cause of sorrow.

    10

  • All you whose pinions in the clear air soar,
  • But most, thou friendly turtle-dove, deplore.
  • Full concord all your lives was you betwixt,
  • And to the end your constant faith stood fixt.
  • What Pylades did to Orestes prove,
  • Such to the parrot was the turtle-dove.
  • But what availed this faith? her rarest hue?
  • Or voice that how to change the wild notes knew?
  • What helps it thou wert given to please my wench?
  • Birds' hapless glory, death thy life doth quench.

    20

  • Thou with thy quills might'st make green emeralds dark,
  • And pass our scarlet of red saffron's mark.
  • No such voice-feigning bird was on the ground,
  • Thou spok'st thy words so well with stammering sound.
  • Envy hath rapt thee, no fierce wars thou mov'dst.
  • Vain-babbling speech, and pleasant peace thou lov'dst.
  • Behcld how quails among their battles live,
  • Which do perchance old age unto them give.
  • A little filled thee, and for love of talk,
  • Thy nouth to taste of many meats did balk.

    30

  • Nuts were thy food, and poppy caused thee sleep,
  • Pure water's moisture thirst away did keep.
  • The ravenous vulture lives, the puttock2 hovers
  • Around the air, the cadess3 rain discovers.
  • And crow1 survives arms-bearing Pallas' hate,
  • Whose life nine ages scarce bring out of date.
  • Dead is that speaking image of man's voice,
  • The parrot given me, the far-world's2 best choice.
  • The greedy spirits3 take the best things first,
  • Supplying their void places with the worst.

    40

  • Thersites did Protesilaus survive;
  • And Hector died, his brothers yet alive.
  • My wench's vows for thee what should I show,
  • Which stormy south winds into sea did blow?
  • The seventh day came, none following might'st thou see,
  • And the Fate's distaff empty stood to thee:
  • Yet words in thy benumbèd palate rung;
  • 'Farewell, Corinna,” cried thy dying tongue.
  • Elysium hath a wood of holm-trees black,
  • Whose earth doth not perpetual green grass lack.

    50

  • There good birds rest (if we believe things hidden),
  • Whence unclean fowls are said to be forbidden.
  • There harmless swans feed all abroad the river;
  • There lives the phœnix, one alone bird ever;
  • There Juno's bird displays his gorgeous feather,
  • And loving doves kiss eagerly together.
  • The parrot into wood received with these,
  • Turns all the godly4 birds to what she please.
  • A grave her bones hides: on her corps' great grave,
  • The little stones these little verses have.

    60

  • This tomb approves I pleased my mistress well;
  • My mouth in speaking did all birds excel.

[3]Not in Isham copy or ed. A.

[4]Dyce remarks that Marlowe's copy had “ales mihi missus” for “imitatrix ales.”

[5]So Dyce for “goodly” of the old eds. (“piæ volucres”).

[6]Shrill.

[7]So Dyce for “not” of the old eds.

[1]So Dyce for “It is as great.”

[2]“Miluus.”

[3]“Graculus.”

[1]Old eds. “crowes.”

[2]Old eds. “words.”

[3]Marlowe was very weak in Latin prosody. The original has “mani bus rapiuntur avaris.”

[4]Old “goodly” (“pias voluers”).