Carmina

Catullus

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

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