by Lucius Flavius Philostratus (c170 - c248)
Translation by Ben Jonson (1572 - 1637)

Drink to me only with thine eyes
 (Sung text for setting by R. Quilter)
 Matches base text
Language: English  after the Greek (Ελληνικά) 
Our translations:  GER
Drink to me only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss within the cup,
And I'll not ask for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise
Doth ask a drink divine;
But might I of Jove's nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.

I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honouring thee,
As giving it a hope that there
It could not withered be.
But thou thereon didst only breathe
And send'st it back to me:
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear
Not of itself, but thee.

Note: parodied in Archibald Stodart-Walker's Blink to me only with thine eyes.

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See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , "Lied an Celia", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 101