No Platonic Love

Tell me no more of minds embracing minds,
And hearts exchanged for hearts；
That spirits spirits meet, as winds do winds,
And mix their subt’lest parts；
That two unbodied essences may kiss,
And then like angels, twist and feel one bliss．

I was that silly thing that once was wrought
To practise this thin love：
I climbed from sex to soul, from soul to thought；
But thinking there to move,
Headlong I rolled from thought to soul, and then
From soul I lighted at the sex again．

As some strict down-looked men pretend to fast,
Who yet in closets eat；
So lovers who profess they spirits taste,
Feed yet on grosser meet；
I know they boast they souls to souls convey,
Howe’er they meet, the body is the way．

Come, I will undeceive thee, they that tread
Those vain aerial ways,
Are like young heirs and alchemists misled
To waste their wealth and days,
For searching thus to be forever rich,
They only find a medicine for the itch．

休矣,柏拉图精神恋爱

慢说精神拥抱精神,
莫道以心换心；
所谓微妙交融,
所谓无形亲吻；
所谓神交通感,
所谓天使清纯；
所谓如获天泽,
所谓似受天恩；
全是奇谈怪论,
纯系捕风捉影。

我曾误信此类谬论,
去体验这荒唐爱情；
我试着攀爬,
我努力提升；
从色性到灵魂,
从灵魂到意境；
可是再往前去,
思想又倒转逆行：
我从意境回到灵魂,
从灵魂又回到色性。

绵软的男人强装守斋,
却躲到密室偷吃犯禁；
宣称品尝精神的恋人,
最爱的就是鱼肉荤腥；
他们自吹以精神沟通精神,
躯体才是他们相会的途径。

来吧, 我要让你们猛醒,
那些虚荣障眼的人们!
恰似富家后嗣和炼金术士,
迷途中枉费财富和青春；
想由此路把长命富贵追寻,
那不过是在止渴饮鸩。

威廉•卡特赖特(William Cartwright 1611—1643)英国诗人 在诗人看来,流行一时的精神恋爱只不过是背离人性的人生迷途；诗人用切身的体会告诫人们,想由此路获取声名,只不过是虚荣障眼,枉费心机。