What about Ben Jonson?

Why should William Shakespeare get all the attention? Here is my interpretation of Ben Jonson’s famous poem.

Celia with my interpretation in italics.

Drinke to me, onely, with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
shush. look at me
and I’ll make eye promises
Or leave a kisse but in the cup,
And Ile not looke for wine.
If you kiss the inside of a cup
I’ll scrap the booze

The thirst, that from the soule doth rise,
Doth aske a drinke divine:
actually, scraping your kiss out of the cup
would be great.
But might I of Jove’s Nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
even if I was offered the best drink in the world
I’d prefer to imbibe the soggy kiss-in-a-cup

I sent thee, late, a rosie wreath,
Not so much honoring thee,
that lovely rose
wasn’t sent because I like you
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not withered be.
but to give it a chance to
maybe live forever

But thou thereon did’st onely breath,
And sent’st it back to mee:
but you just breathed on it
and sent it back
Since when it growes, and smells, I sweare,
Not of it selfe, but thee.
and now it’s growing, and smells,
just like you

The original:

Drinke to me, onely, with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kisse but in the cup,
And Ile not looke for wine.

The thirst, that from the soule doth rise,
Doth aske a drinke divine:
But might I of Jove’s Nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.

I sent thee, late, a rosie wreath,
Not so much honoring thee,
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not withered be.

But thou thereon did’st onely breath,
And sent’st it back to mee:
Since when it growes, and smells, I sweare,
Not of it selfe, but thee.

My interpretation:

shush… look at me,
and I’ll make eye promises.
if you kiss the inside of a cup
I’ll scrap the booze.

actually, scraping your kiss out of the cup
would be great.
even if I was offered the best drink in the world,
I’d prefer to imbibe the soggy kiss-in-a-cup.

that lovely rose
wasn’t sent because I like you,
but to give it a chance to
maybe live forever.

but you just breathed on it
and sent it back,
and now it’s growing, and smells,
just like you.

© Jane Paterson Basil