Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Who laps of zone to loose aspire,
  2. And thee the bashful bridegrooms woo
  3. With ears that long to hear.
  4. Thou to the hand of love-fierce swain
  5. Deliverest maiden fair and fain,
  6. From mother's fondling bosom ta'en
  7. Perforce, 0 Hymenaeus Hymen
  8. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  9. Thou lacking, Venus ne'er avails—
  10. While Fame approves for honesty—
  11. Love-joys to lavish: ne'er she fails
  12. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  13. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  14. Thou wanting, never son and heir
  15. The Hearth can bear, nor parents be
  16. By issue girt, yet can it bear,
  17. Thou willing:—with such Deity,
  18. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  19. An lack a land thy sacring rite,
  20. The perfect rule we ne'er shall see
  21. Reach Earth's far bourne; yet such we sight,
  22. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  23. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  24. Your folds ye gateways wide-ope swing!
  25. The maiden comes. Seest not the sheen
  26. Of links their splendent tresses fling?
  27. Let shame retard the modest mien.
  28. ---
  29. ---
  30. Who more she hears us weeps the more,
  31. That needs she must advance.
  32. Cease raining tear-drops! not for thee,
  33. Aurunculeia, risk we deem,
  34. That fairer femininety
  35. Clear day outdawned from Ocean stream
  36. Shall ever more behold.
  37. Such in the many-tinted bower
  38. Of rich man's garden passing gay
  39. Upstands the hyacinthine flower.
  40. But thou delayest, wanes the day:
  41. “Prithee, come forth new Bride.”
  42. Prithee, come forth new Bride! methinks,
  43. Drawing in sight, the talk we hold
  44. Thou haply hearest. See the Links!
  45. How shake their locks begilt with gold:
  46. Prithee, new Bride come forth.
  47. Not lightly given thy mate to ill
  48. Joys and adulterous delights
  49. Foul fleshly pleasures seeking still