Classic Poem

To Eve the wrathful Adam said:
" You greedy, you disgusting jade,
For you I toil and get no sleep,
Who led me into sin how deep!
You plucked from the forbidden tree
The cursed fruit and gave it me.
Our life of innocence you blighted,
Your naked loins to lust invited,
Your beauty sunk me in the fire
Of bestial and blind desire.
'Twas you from Eden barred me out,
With fiery walls now ringed about.
Your tongue's a serpent from which drips
All evil through your hateful lips,
And like a fang, when I would eat,
Your speech pours poison on my meat.
If then the will to smite o'ertakes me,
I look, and all my strength forsakes me.
A cringing dog you've made of me —
I loathe, I loathe you utterly.
Accursed be you! "

The woman smiled in her disdain
And mocking answered him again:
" Disgusting brute, I leave with you
Your names, where they are rightly due.
You are the serpent, for you swell
With evils, though with you they dwell
In silence; you, the poisonous tooth;
And you the dog with greedy mouth.
You hate but never dare to break
The vessel where your thirst you slake,
To get my body for your lust
You lick my hand and cringe in dust!
I bore with many a weary smart
Your body's fruit beneath my heart,
Your child I nourish with my blood, —
In pain and shame I give it food.
Accursed be you! "

He clenched his fist and struck a blow
So hard the blood began to flow
Adown her cheek. She bit her teeth,
Fled far and sat herself beneath
A bank by the Euphrates' side,
Where she might watch its whirling tide,
And mourn and grieve and dumbly brood
In dreams of hate with vengeful mood.
Meanwhile the man had thrown him down
And dug the earth with grovelling crown,
The while his trembling limbs gave token
Of sorrow for his words ill-spoken.
In soul he saw her bleed again,
Beheld her features wrenched with pain,
And wept until his eyes were red
For all the cruel drops he'd shed.
Remorse awakened in his mind
With memories of how good and kind
She'd been, preparing day by day
His food and helping every way,
Cherishing him both soon and late,
And comforting through love and hate.
He thought of how her eyes would dim
With sadness at harsh words from him,
How lovingly her hand would lead
The son he gave her, with what heed
When evening darkened she would strew
On the dry grass a bed for two,
And how then, as the latest light
Of sunset faded into night,
Their limbs would twine in sweet embrace
With joy and fear before God's face.

Thus Adam thought, and rising up
To seek her, saw how drop by drop
Her blood had fallen, saw the trace
Her steps had made with wandering pace,
Till by the river he descried her
With Cain, his little son, beside her.
With deep distress his bosom heaved,
At once he suffered, hated, grieved.
Then Adam went to her and spoke:
" Why did I strike you such a stroke?
Your cheek is bleeding, dear; I'll go
Fetch water from the stream below.
With healing herbs I'll ease the smart
My blow has caused within your heart.
Your grief I'll grieve for, and I'll share
The heavy burdens you must bear.
I would not dwell alone like this,
Accurst and driven from Eden's bliss;
The joy and grief of man and woman,
Yea, all our hard life, is in common.
Each other living thing we see
Around us is an enemy. "
So Adam spoke his inmost thought,
But Eve was still and answered not.
And Adam, too, in dumb distress
Sank down his head in bitterness.

But when once more with sudden change
He would have seized on fresh revenge,
The woman yielded, turned and pressed
Close to him, then her arms she placed
Upon his shoulders, clung there fast
About his neck, and spoke at last:
" I would not ever blame and chide you,
Nor see you weep and so deride you.
Let both forgive whate'er may grieve us,
Since He, our Lord, does not forgive us!
We are condemned to sin forever,
To quarrel oft, agreeing never;
To dog and bitch we two are kin;
Then let us sin and loathe our sin,
Endure together fate's decree,
And suffer all life's misery,
And hate and quarrel and contend
And love until the world shall end. "

Thus then the man and woman drew
Together and their whole lives through
Continued so, and multiplied
(An ancient writ declares) and died.
But thus, while Time pursues his flight
With mighty wing-beats day and night,
Abideth man's and woman's fate
From Adam to the present date.