Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Say me, how came I, or by word or deed,
  2. To cause thee plague me with so many a bard?
  3. The Gods deal many an ill to such a client,
  4. Who sent of impious wights to thee such crowd.
  5. But if (as guess I) this choice boon new-found
  6. To thee from "Commentator" Sulla come,
  7. None ill I hold it—well and welcome 'tis,
  8. For that thy labours ne'er to death be doom'd.
  9. Great Gods! What horrid booklet damnable
  10. Unto thine own Catullus thou (perdie!)
  11. Did send, that ever day by day die he
  12. In Saturnalia, first of festivals.
  13. No! No! thus shall't not pass wi' thee, sweet wag,
  14. For I at dawning day will scour the booths
  15. Of bibliopoles, Aquinii, Caesii and
  16. Suffenus, gather all their poison-trash
  17. And with such torments pay thee for thy pains.