Carmina
Catullus
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus. Burton, Sir Richard Francis, translator. London, Printed for the Translators, 1894.
- Of deed he grins. Such be his malady,
- Nor kind, nor courteous-so beseemeth me—
- Then take thou good Egnatius, rede of mine!
- Wert Thou Corrupt Sabine Or A Tiburtine,
- Stuffed Umbrian or Tuscan overgrown
- Swarthy Lanuvian with his teeth-rows shown,
- Transpadan also, that mine own I touch,
- Or any washing teeth to shine o'er much,
- Yet thy incessant grin I would not see,
- For naught than laughter silly sillier be.
- Thou Celtiber art, in Celtiberia born,
- Where man who's urined therewith loves a-morn
- His teeth and ruddy gums to scour and score;
- So the more polisht are your teeth, the more
- Argue they sipping stale in ampler store.
- What thought of folly Rávidus (poor churl!)
- Upon my iambs thus would headlong hurl?
- What good or cunning counsellor would fain