Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Turn footsteps hither, here appearing,
  2. Guide to good Venus, and the good
  3. Lover conjoining strait.
  4. What God than other Godheads more
  5. Must love-sick wights for aid implore?
  6. Whose Godhead foremost shall adore
  7. Mankind? 0 Hymenaeus Hymen,
  8. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  9. Thee for his own the trembling sire
  10. Invokes, thee Virgins ever sue
  11. Who laps of zone to loose aspire,
  12. And thee the bashful bridegrooms woo
  13. With ears that long to hear.
  14. Thou to the hand of love-fierce swain
  15. Deliverest maiden fair and fain,
  16. From mother's fondling bosom ta'en
  17. Perforce, 0 Hymenaeus Hymen
  18. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  19. Thou lacking, Venus ne'er avails—
  20. While Fame approves for honesty—
  21. Love-joys to lavish: ne'er she fails
  22. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  23. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  24. Thou wanting, never son and heir
  25. The Hearth can bear, nor parents be
  26. By issue girt, yet can it bear,
  27. Thou willing:—with such Deity,
  28. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  29. An lack a land thy sacring rite,
  30. The perfect rule we ne'er shall see
  31. Reach Earth's far bourne; yet such we sight,
  32. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  33. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  34. Your folds ye gateways wide-ope swing!
  35. The maiden comes. Seest not the sheen
  36. Of links their splendent tresses fling?
  37. Let shame retard the modest mien.
  38. ---
  39. ---
  40. Who more she hears us weeps the more,
  41. That needs she must advance.
  42. Cease raining tear-drops! not for thee,
  43. Aurunculeia, risk we deem,
  44. That fairer femininety
  45. Clear day outdawned from Ocean stream
  46. Shall ever more behold.
  47. Such in the many-tinted bower
  48. Of rich man's garden passing gay
  49. Upstands the hyacinthine flower.
  50. But thou delayest, wanes the day:
  51. “Prithee, come forth new Bride.”
  52. Prithee, come forth new Bride! methinks,
  53. Drawing in sight, the talk we hold
  54. Thou haply hearest. See the Links!
  55. How shake their locks begilt with gold:
  56. Prithee, new Bride come forth.
  57. Not lightly given thy mate to ill
  58. Joys and adulterous delights
  59. Foul fleshly pleasures seeking still
  60. Shall ever choose he lie o' nights
  61. Far from thy tender paps.
  62. But as with pliant shoots the vine
  63. Round nearest tree-trunk winds her way,
  64. He shall be ever twined in thine
  65. Embraces:— yet, lo! wanes the day:
  66. Prithee, come forth new Bride!