Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Thou lacking, Venus ne'er avails—
  2. While Fame approves for honesty—
  3. Love-joys to lavish: ne'er she fails
  4. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  5. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  6. Thou wanting, never son and heir
  7. The Hearth can bear, nor parents be
  8. By issue girt, yet can it bear,
  9. Thou willing:—with such Deity,
  10. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  11. An lack a land thy sacring rite,
  12. The perfect rule we ne'er shall see
  13. Reach Earth's far bourne; yet such we sight,
  14. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  15. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  16. Your folds ye gateways wide-ope swing!
  17. The maiden comes. Seest not the sheen
  18. Of links their splendent tresses fling?
  19. Let shame retard the modest mien.
  20. ---
  21. ---
  22. Who more she hears us weeps the more,
  23. That needs she must advance.
  24. Cease raining tear-drops! not for thee,
  25. Aurunculeia, risk we deem,
  26. That fairer femininety
  27. Clear day outdawned from Ocean stream
  28. Shall ever more behold.
  29. Such in the many-tinted bower
  30. Of rich man's garden passing gay
  31. Upstands the hyacinthine flower.
  32. But thou delayest, wanes the day:
  33. “Prithee, come forth new Bride.”
  34. Prithee, come forth new Bride! methinks,
  35. Drawing in sight, the talk we hold
  36. Thou haply hearest. See the Links!
  37. How shake their locks begilt with gold:
  38. Prithee, new Bride come forth.
  39. Not lightly given thy mate to ill
  40. Joys and adulterous delights
  41. Foul fleshly pleasures seeking still
  42. Shall ever choose he lie o' nights
  43. Far from thy tender paps.
  44. But as with pliant shoots the vine
  45. Round nearest tree-trunk winds her way,
  46. He shall be ever twined in thine
  47. Embraces:— yet, lo! wanes the day:
  48. Prithee, come forth new Bride!
  49. Couchlet which to me and all
  50. ---
  51. With bright white bedstead foot.
  52. What joys the lord of thee betide!
  53. What love-liesse on vaguing way
  54. 0' nights! What sweets in morning tide
  55. For thee be stored! Yet wanes the day:
  56. Prithee, come forth fresh Bride!
  57. Your lighted links, 0 boys, wave high:
  58. I see the flamey veil draw nigh:
  59. Hie, sing in merry mode and cry
  60. "0 Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  61. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus!"
  62. Lest longer mute tongue stays that joys
  63. In festal jest, from Fescennine,
  64. Nor yet denay their nuts to boys,
  65. He-Concubine! who learns in fine
  66. His lordling's love is fled.
  67. Throw nuts to boys thou idle all
  68. He-Concubine! wast fain full long
  69. With nuts to play: now pleased as thrall
  70. Be thou to swell Talasios' throng:
  71. He-Concubine throw nuts.
  72. Wont thou at peasant-girls to jape
  73. He-whore! Thy Lord's delight the while:
  74. Now shall hair-curling chattel scrape
  75. Thy cheeks: poor wretch, ah! poor and vile:—