Daphne
Pantagruel Lyrics

When Daphne from faire Phoebus did flie,
As Daphne fled from Apollo, the West wind blew gently on her face

Her silken Scarfe scarce shaddowed her eyes,
Her silk scarf barely covered her eyes

The God cried, O pitie, and held her in chace,
Apollo begged her to stop and had compassion on her situation as he continued to pursue her

Stay Nimph, stay Nimph, cryes Apollo,
Apollo pleaded with Daphne to wait for him

Tarry, and turn thee, Sweet Nimph stay,
He begged her to wait and turn around to look at him

Lion nor tyger doth thee follow:
He reassured her that no dangerous animals were chasing her

Turn thy faire eye and look this away.
Apollo implored her to avert her gaze and look at him

O turn O prettie sweet,
Apollo begged her to turn and face him

And let our red lips meet:
Apollo desired to kiss her

Pittie O Daphne, pittie O pitty me.
Apollo begged for Daphne's mercy and compassion

She gave no eare unto his cry,
Daphne ignored Apollo's pleas

But still did neglect him the more he did mone;
She continued to ignore him even when he begged harder

He still did entreat, she still did denie,
Apollo persisted in begging, but Daphne kept refusing

And earnestly prayes him to leave her alone.
She begged him to stop pursuing her

Never never cryes Apollo,
Apollo insisted that he would never stop loving her

Unlesse to love thou do consent:
However, he wouldn't force himself on her and wanted her to love him willingly

But still with my voice so hollow,
He continued to call out to her with a sad, hollow voice

Ile crie to thee, while life be spent.
He promised to keep calling her name until the end of his life

But if thou turn to me,
Apollo promised her that if she turned to him,

I will praise thy felicitie.
He would honor and cherish her happiness

Pitty O Daphne, pittie O me,
He begged for her mercy and compassion once again

Away like Venus dove she flies,
Daphne ran away as swiftly as a bird, like Venus' dove

The red blood her buskins did run all adowne,
Her feet bled from running so hard

H[is] plaintiffe love she now denies
She refused his love even more

Crying, help help Diana and save my renowne:
She called to Diana for help, begging to preserve her reputation

Wanton wanton l is neare me.
She feared Apollo's lustful intentions

Cold and chaste Diana aid,
She asked Diana, the goddess of chastity to protect her

Let the earth a virgin beare me:
She pleaded with the earth to keep her pure and untouched

Or devoure me quick a maid:
She preferred to die rather than lose her virginity against her wishes

Diana heard her pray,
Diana heard Daphne's pleas

And turned her to a Bay.
Diana transformed Daphne into a bay tree to protect her

Amazed stood Apollo then,
Apollo was stunned and shocked by Diane's intervention

While he beheld Daphne turn'd as she desired,
He watched helplessly as Daphne transformed into a tree

Accurst I am above Gods and men,
He felt cursed and above any divine intervention or mortal assistance

With griefe and laments my sences are tired.
He was heartbroken and exhausted from grieving and lamenting her loss

Farewel false Daphne most unkinde,
Apollo called her unkind for rejecting his love

My love is buried in this grave,
He mourned the lost opportunity to love Daphne and saw her change as a form of death

Long have I sought love, yet love could not finde.
He admitted his long search for love and how he couldn't find it through Daphne

Therefore is this my Epitaph
He declared that his eulogy would focus on his love for Daphne

This tree doth Daphne cover,
Apollo acknowledged the tree that symbolized his lost love

That never pitied lover,
The tree was a sign of Daphne's lack of compassion for him

Farewell false Daphne, that would not pittie me,
In conclusion, Apollo bid a final farewell to Daphne, who refused to show him mercy or pity

Though not my Love, yet art thou my Tree.
He asserted that the tree still represented the love that he couldn't have with her