and the ivy leaves!

Now know I Love, and a cruel God is he. Surely he sucked the
lioness's dug, and in the wild wood his mother reared him, whose fire
is scorching me, and bites even to the bone.

Ah, lovely as thou art to look upon, ah heart of stone, ah dark-
browed maiden, embrace me, thy true goatherd, that I may kiss thee,
and even in empty kisses there is a sweet delight!

Soon wilt thou make me rend the wreath in pieces small, the wreath of
ivy, dear Amaryllis, that I keep for thee, with rose-buds twined, and
fragrant parsley. Ah me, what anguish! Wretched that I am, whither
shall I turn! Thou dust not hear my prayer!

I will cast off my coat of skins, and into yonder waves I will
spring, where the fisher Olpis watches for the tunny shoals, and even
if I die not, surely thy pleasure will have been done.

I learned the truth of old, when, amid thoughts of thee, I asked,
'Loves she, loves she not?' and the poppy petal clung not, and gave
no crackling sound, but withered on my smooth forearm, even so. {21}

And she too spoke sooth, even Agroeo, she that divineth with a sieve,
and of late was binding sheaves behind the reapers, who said that I
had set all my heart on thee, but that thou didst nothing regard me.

Truly I keep for thee the white goat with the twin kids that
Mermnon's daughter too, the brown-skinned Erithacis, prays me to give
her; and give her them I will, since thou dost flout me.