Had I known that the first was the last by Emily D

Коль знала бы я, что проба - финал,
тянула б её - дольше.
Коль знала бы я, что край для начал,
упилась бы им - больше.
Бокал при вине,
и ложь - не в губах.
Нет, грех на устах,
все вины - у нег.



(Эмили - об опыте любви со Сью.)

[David Preest:
As in poem 1529, Emily is perhaps fantasising about
an experience of Lesbian love with Sue. Here she says
that it happened only once. Had she known there would
be no more, she would have made it ‘longer’ and ‘stronger.’
What stopped her? Their lips were not to blame. When they
said they loved each other, they truly did – it was the
cup of love which overwhelmed them. No, it was their lips’
fault. It was the bliss of their kisses which overwhelmed
them.  Poem 518 also perhaps implies that
‘the first was the last.’]

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Had I known that the first was the last by Emily Dickinson

Had I known that the first was the last       
I should have kept it longer.               
Had I known that the last was the first       
I should have drunk it stronger.       
Cup, it was your fault,               
Lip was not the liar.               
No, lip, it was yours,               
Bliss was most to blame.