Marià Escolàstic: Antologia Palatina IX, 627

[Aquests tres dístics de Marià Escolàstic, autor del qual no se sap gairebé res, llevat que era advocat i contemporani d'Agaties Escolàstic, tenen el mèrit, segons alguns autors, d'haver inspirat els sonets 153 i 154 de William Shakespeare, si més no indirectament (probablement mitjançant una traducció italiana o francesa).]

Aquí sota els plàtans, Amor, vençut per la son agradosa,

  dormia, havent lliurat la torxa a les Nimfes;

les Nimfes es deien: “Què hem d'esperar? Que bo seria sufocar

   d'un plegat el foc al cor dels mortals, amb això!”

La torxa, però, calà foc a les aigües; d'aleshores ençà,

   les Nimfes d'Amor aboquen aigua calenta sobre a qui es banya.

[H. Beckby, Anthologia Graeca, 2ª ed. Munich, Llibre 9, 627]

[B. Baldwin, An Anthology of Byzantine Poetry, Amsterdam, 1985, pàg. 71]

Sonet 153 de William Shakespeare

Cupid laid by his brand, and fell asleep:

A maid of Dian's this advantage found,

And his love-kindling fire did quickly steep

In a cold valley-fountain of that ground;

Which borrow'd from this holy fire of love

A dateless lively heat, still to endure,

And grew a seething bath, which yet men prove

Against strange maladies a sovereign cure.

But at my mistress' eye Love's brand new-fired,

The boy for trial needs would touch my breast;

I, sick withal, the help of bath desired,

And thither hied, a sad distemper'd guest,

But found no cure: the bath for my help lies

Where Cupid got new fire; my mistress' eyes.

Sonet 154 de William Shakespeare

The little Love-god lying once asleep

Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,

Whilst many nymphs that vow'd chaste life to keep

Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand

The fairest votary took up that fire

Which many legions of true hearts had warm'd;

And so the general of hot desire

Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarm'd.

This brand she quenched in a cool well by,

Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual,

Growing a bath and healthful remedy

For men diseased; but I, my mistress' thrall,

Came there for cure, and this by that I prove,

Love's fire heats water, water cools not love.