Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. The which affecting stranger steads as bound in exile's brunt
  2. My sect pursuing led by me have nerved you to confront
  3. The raging surge of salty sea and ocean's tyrant hand
  4. As your hate of Venus' hest your manly forms unmann'd,
  5. Gladden your souls, ye mistresses, with sense of error bann'd.
  6. Drive from your spirits dull delay, together follow ye
  7. To hold of Phrygian goddess, home of Phrygian Cybebe,
  8. Where loud the cymbal's voice resounds with timbrel-echoes blending,
  9. And where the Phrygian piper drones grave bass from reed a-bending,
  10. Where toss their ivy-circled heads with might the Maenades
  11. Where ply mid shrilly lullilooes the holiest mysteries,
  12. Where to fly here and there be wont the she-god's vaguing train,
  13. Thither behoves us lead the dance in quick-step hasty strain."
  14. Soon as had Atys (bastard-she) this lay to comrades sung
  15. The Chorus sudden lulliloos with quivering, quavering tongue,
  16. Again the nimble timbrel groans, the scooped-out cymbals clash,
  17. And up green Ida flits the Choir, with footsteps hurrying rash
  18. Then Atys frantic, panting, raves, a-wandering, lost, insane,
  19. And leads with timbrel hent and treads the shades where shadows rain,
  20. Like heifer spurning load of yoke in yet unbroken pride;