When We Are in the Temple

Poem by Pierre De Ronsard Collection The MélangesThemes Love, ReligionPeriod 16th century

When we are in the temple
Kneeling, we shall act
As the devout according to the manner
Of those who to praise God
Humble bow in the place
Most secret of the church.

But when in bed we are
Intertwined, we shall act
As the lascivious according to the ways
Of lovers who freely
Frolic playfully
In the sheets a hundred sweet caresses.

Why then, when I want
Either to bite your beautiful hair,
Or kiss your beloved mouth,
Or touch your beautiful breast,
Do you pretend to be the nun
Enclosed within a cloister?

For whom do you keep your eyes
And your delicious breast,
Your cheek and your beautiful mouth?
Do you want to kiss Pluto
Down there, after Charon
Has placed you in his boat?

After your final death,
Slim, you will have down there
Only a pale little mouth;
And when dead, if I saw you
Among the Shades I would not admit
That once you were my love.
Your skull will have no more skin,
Nor will your face so beautiful
Have veins or arteries:
You will have only teeth
Such as are seen inside
The heads of scimitars.

So, while you live,
Change, mistress, your mind,
And do not spare me your mouth:
Soon you will die,
Then you will repent
Of having been fierce to me.

Ah, I am dying! Ah, kiss me!
Ah, mistress, come closer!
You flee like a trembling fawn.
At least suffer my hand
To play a little in your breast,
Or lower, if it seems good to you.

Pierre de Ronsard

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-when-in-the-temple-we-are-pierre-de-ronsard/