Love in fantastic Triumph sat,

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Poème original

Love in fantastic Triumph sat, Whilst bleeding hearts around him flowed, For whom fresh pains he did create, And strange tyrannic power he showed; From thy bright eyes he took his fire, Which roundabout, in sport he hurled; But 'twas from mine he took desire Enough to undo the amorous world. From me he took his sighs and tears, From thee his pride and cruelty; From me his languishments and fears, And every killing dart from thee; Thus thou and I, the god have armed, And set him up a deity; But my poor heart alone is harmed, Whilst thine the victor is, and free.

Traduction

Love sat in a wonderful and victorious way, While bleeding hearts were all around him, For whom he made new pains, And showed strange oppressive power; He took his passion from your bright eyes, Which he playfully threw around; But from my eyes, he took longing Enough to destroy the world of love. He took my sighs and tears, From you, he took pride and harshness; From me, he took weakness and fears, And every deadly arrow from you; Thus, you and I have armed the god, And made him a divine being; But only my heart is hurt, While yours is the winner and free.

Explication

Aphra Behn's poem 'Love Armed' personifies love as a triumphant conqueror who sits surrounded by bleeding hearts. Love is depicted as a tyrannical force that creates pain and suffering rather than joy. The speaker describes how love takes various attributes from both herself and another person (possibly a lover): fire from the other's eyes, desire from her own, sighs and tears from herself, and pride and cruelty from the other. This shared contribution to Love's power makes him a deity, yet the speaker laments that only her heart is harmed while the other's remains victorious and free. The poem explores themes of love's dual nature, power dynamics in relationships, and the personal cost of love. Behn uses vivid imagery and personification to convey the emotional turmoil and complexity of love, highlighting its ability to both uplift and destroy.

Dictionnaire des mots

Mot	Sens simple	Traduction	Pron.
fantastic	unreal, imaginative	unbelievably great	fan-tas-tic
triumph	victory, success

Love in fantastic Triumph sat, — Poème | Poetry Explainer