Carmina

Catullus

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

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