Carmina

Catullus

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

  • How shake their locks begilt with gold:
  • Prithee, new Bride come forth.
  • Not lightly given thy mate to ill
  • Joys and adulterous delights
  • Foul fleshly pleasures seeking still
  • Shall ever choose he lie o' nights
  • Far from thy tender paps.
  • But as with pliant shoots the vine
  • Round nearest tree-trunk winds her way,
  • He shall be ever twined in thine
  • Embraces:— yet, lo! wanes the day:
  • Prithee, come forth new Bride!
  • Couchlet which to me and all
  • ---
  • With bright white bedstead foot.
  • What joys the lord of thee betide!
  • What love-liesse on vaguing way
  • 0' nights! What sweets in morning tide
  • For thee be stored! Yet wanes the day:
  • Prithee, come forth fresh Bride!
  • Your lighted links, 0 boys, wave high:
  • I see the flamey veil draw nigh:
  • Hie, sing in merry mode and cry
  • "0 Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • 0 Hymen Hymenaeus!"
  • Lest longer mute tongue stays that joys
  • In festal jest, from Fescennine,
  • Nor yet denay their nuts to boys,
  • He-Concubine! who learns in fine
  • His lordling's love is fled.
  • Throw nuts to boys thou idle all
  • He-Concubine! wast fain full long
  • With nuts to play: now pleased as thrall
  • Be thou to swell Talasios' throng:
  • He-Concubine throw nuts.
  • Wont thou at peasant-girls to jape
  • He-whore! Thy Lord's delight the while:
  • Now shall hair-curling chattel scrape
  • Thy cheeks: poor wretch, ah! poor and vile:—
  • He-Concubine, throw nuts.
  • 'Tis said from smooth-faced ingle train
  • (Anointed bridegroom!) hardly fain
  • Hast e'er refrained; now do refrain!
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus!
  • We know that naught save licit rites
  • Be known to thee, but wedded wights
  • No more deem lawful such delights.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  • Thou too, 0 Bride, whatever dare
  • Thy groom, of coy rebuff beware,
  • Lest he to find elsewhither fare.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  • Lo! here the house of high degree
  • Thy husband's puissant home to be,
  • Which ever shall obey thy gree.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus!
  • Till Time betide when eld the hoar
  • Thy head and temples trembling o'er
  • Make nod to all things evermore.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  • O'erstep with omen meetest meet
  • The threshold-stone thy golden feet
  • Up, past the polisht panels fleet.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • O Hymen Hymerneus.
  • Within bestrewn thy bridegroom see
  • On couch of Tyrian cramoisy
  • All imminent awaiting thee.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  • For in his breast not less than thine
  • Burn high the flames that deepest shrine,
  • Yet his the lowe far deeper lien.
  • O Hymen Hymemeus io,
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  • Let fall the maid's soft arms, thou fair
  • Boy purple-hem'd: now be thy care
  • Her bridegroom's couch she seek and share.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  • Ye wives time-tried to husbands wed,
  • Well-known for chastity inbred,
  • Dispose the virginette a-bed.
  • O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  • 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  • Groom, now 'tis meet thou hither pace,
  • With bride in genial bed to blend,
  • For sheenly shines her flowery face