Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. But paper-royal, brand-new boards, and best
  2. Fresh bosses, crimson ribbands, sheets with lead
  3. Ruled, and with pumice-powder all well polished.
  4. These as thou readest, seem that fine, urbane
  5. Suffenus, goat-herd mere, or ditcher-swain
  6. Once more, such horrid change is there, so vile.
  7. What must we wot thereof? a Droll erst while,
  8. Or (if aught) cleverer, he with converse meets,
  9. He now in dullness, dullest villain beats
  10. Forthright on handling verse, nor is the wight
  11. Ever so happy as when verse he write:
  12. So self admires he with so full delight.
  13. In sooth, we all thus err, nor man there be
  14. But in some matter a Suffenus see
  15. Thou canst: his lache allotted none shall lack
  16. Yet spy we nothing of our back-borne pack.
  1. Furius ! Nor chest, nor slaves can claim,
  2. Bug, Spider, nor e'e n hearth aflame,
  3. Yet thine a sire and step-dame who
  4. Wi' tooth can ever flint-food chew!