Tannhäuser

Venus. Meanwhile my chant shall tremble in the air, And rack thy limbs with poison, wither up The fine full blood, breed serpents in thy heart, And worms to eat thee. Living thou shalt be A sensible corpse, a walking sepulchre. Come, come, Apollyon ! Come, my Aggereth ! Belial, cheat his ears and blind his eyes ! Come, all ye tribes of serpents and foul fish ! Beetle and worm, I have a feast for you ! Tannhauser. The palace staggers. I can hardly see— Only these writhing horrors. I am blind ! Venus. Ha ! My true knight ! I ask thee once again, Once more invoke the epithets of love. Suspend my powers — constrain thee on my knees For thine old kisses. See, I am all thine ! All thine the splendid body, and the shape Of mighty breasts, and supple limbs, and wide Lips, and slow almond eyes ! Adorable, Seductive, sombre, moving amorously. Droop the long eyelids, purple with young blood. The lazy lashes and the flowing mane. The flame of fire from head to feet of me ! K 73