Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. All crepitation and mobility.
  2. Explain! none whoredoms (no!) shall close my lips.
  3. Why? such outfuttered flank thou ne'er wouldst show
  4. Had not some fulsome work by thee been wrought.
  5. Then what thou holdest, boon or bane be pleased
  6. Disclose! For thee and thy beloved fain would I
  7. 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
  6. And olden Battus' holy Sepulchre,
  7. Or stars innumerate through night-stillness ken
  8. The stolen Love-delights of mortal men,
  9. For that to kiss thee with unending kisses
  10. For mad Catullus enough and more be this,
  11. Risses nor curious wight shall count their tale,
  12. Nor to bewitch us evil tongue avail.