Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Say do these milk-white girls thy Steps detain?
  2. If aye in tight-sealed lips thy tongue remain,
  3. All Amor's fruitage thou shalt cast away:
  4. Verbose is Venus, loving verbal play!
  5. But, an it please thee, padlockt palate bear,
  6. So in your friendship I have partner-share.
  1. O risible matter (Cato!) and jocose,
  2. Digne of thy hearing, of thy sneering digne.
  3. Laugh (Cato!) an thou love Catullus thine;
  4. The thing is risible, nay, too jocose.
  5. Erstwhile I came upon a lad who a lass
  6. Was . . . and (so please it Dion!) I
  7. Pierced him with stiffest staff and did him die.
  1. Right well are paired these Cinaedes sans shame