Carmina

Catullus

Catullus, Gaius Valerius. The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus. Burton, Sir Richard Francis, translator. London, Printed for the Translators, 1894.

  1. My love regard she not, my love of yore,
  2. Which fell through fault of her, as falls the fair
  3. Last meadow-floret whenas passed it o'er
  4. touch of the share.
  1. Marrúcinus Asinius! ill thou usest
  2. That hand sinistral in thy wit and wine
  3. Filching the napkins of more heedless hosts.
  4. Dost find this funny? Fool it passeth thee
  5. How 'tis a sordid deed, a sorry jest.
  6. Dost misbelieve me? Trust to Pollio,
  7. Thy brother, ready to compound such thefts
  8. E'en at a talent's cost; for he's a youth
  9. In speech past master and in fair pleasantries.
  10. Of hendecasyllabics hundreds three
  11. Therefore expect thou, or return forthright
  12. Linens whose loss affects me not for worth
  13. But as mementoes of a comrade mine.
  14. For napkins Saetaban from Ebro-land
  15. Fabúllus ent me a free giftie given
  16. Also Veránius: these perforce I love
  17. E'en as my Veraniólus and Fabúllus.
  1. Thou'lt sup right well with me, Fabúllus mine,
  2. In days few-numbered an the Gods design,
  3. An great and goodly meal thou bring wi' thee
  4. Nowise forgetting damsel bright o' blee,
  5. With wine, and salty wit and laughs all-gay.
  6. An these my bonny man, thou bring, I say
  7. Thou'lt sup right well, for thy Catullus' purse
  8. Save web of spider nothing does imburse.
  9. But thou in countergift more loves shalt take
  10. Or aught of sweeter taste or fairer make:
  11. I'll give thee unguent lent my girl to scent
  12. By every Venus and all Cupids sent,
  13. Which, as thou savour, pray Gods interpose
  14. And thee, Fabúllus, make a Naught-but-nose.
  1. Did I not liefer love thee than my eyes
  2. (Winsomest Calvus!), for that gift of thine
  3. Certès I'd hate thee with Vatinian hate.
  4. Say me, how came I, or by word or deed,