Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Your frames are hard and dried like horn,
  2. Or if more arid aught ye know
  3. By suns and frosts and hunger-throe.
  4. Then why not happy as thou'rt hale?
  5. Sweat's strange to thee, spit fails, and fail
  6. Phlegm and foul snivel from the nose.
  7. Add cleanness that aye cleanlier shows
  8. A bum than salt-pot cleanlier,
  9. Nor ten times cack'st in total year,
  10. And harder 'tis than pebble or bean
  11. Which rubbed in hand or crumbled, e'en
  12. On finger ne'er shall make unclean.
  13. Such blessings (Furius !) such a prize