Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. While all stern sayings crabbed sages say,
  2. At one doit's value let us price and prize!
  3. The Suns can westward sink again to rise
  4. But we, extinguished once our tiny light,
  5. Perforce shall slumber through one lasting night!
  6. Kiss me a thousand times, then hundred more,
  7. Then thousand others, then a new five-score,
  8. Still other thousand other hundred store.
  9. Last when the sums to many thousands grow,
  10. The tale let's trouble till no more we know,
  11. Nor envious wight despiteful shall misween us
  12. Knowing how many kisses have been kissed between us.
  1. Thy Charmer (Flavius!) to Catullus' ear
  2. Were she not manner'd mean and worst in wit
  3. Perforce thou hadst praised nor couldst silence keep.
  4. But some enfevered jade, I wot-not-what,
  5. Some piece thou lovest, blushing this to own.
  6. For, nowise 'customed widower nights to lie
  7. Thou 'rt ever summoned by no silent bed
  8. With flow'r-wreaths fragrant and with Syrian oil,
  9. By mattress, bolsters, here, there, everywhere
  10. Deep-dinted, and by quaking, shaking couch
  11. All crepitation and mobility.
  12. Explain! none whoredoms (no!) shall close my lips.
  13. Why? such outfuttered flank thou ne'er wouldst show
  14. Had not some fulsome work by thee been wrought.
  15. Then what thou holdest, boon or bane be pleased
  16. Disclose! For thee and thy beloved fain would I
  17. Upraise to Heaven with my liveliest lay.
  1. Thou ask'st How many kissing bouts I bore
  2. From thee (my Lesbia!) or be enough or more?
  3. I say what mighty sum of Lybian-sands
  4. Confine Cyrene's Laserpitium-lands
  5. 'Twixt Oracle of Jove the Swelterer