Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Share he with sharpened flint the freight wherewith his form was fraught.
  2. Then as the she-he sensed limbs were void of manly strain
  3. And sighted freshly shed a-ground spot of ensanguined stain,
  4. Snatched she the timbrel's legier load with hands as snowdrops white,
  5. Thy timbrel, Mother Cybele, the firstings of thy rite,
  6. And as her tender finger-tips on bull-back hollow rang
  7. She rose a-grieving and her song to listening comrades sang.
  8. "Up Gallae, hie together, haste for Cybele's deep grove,
  9. Hie to the Dindymnean dame, ye flocks that love to rove;
  10. The which affecting stranger steads as bound in exile's brunt
  11. My sect pursuing led by me have nerved you to confront
  12. The raging surge of salty sea and ocean's tyrant hand
  13. As your hate of Venus' hest your manly forms unmann'd,
  14. Gladden your souls, ye mistresses, with sense of error bann'd.
  15. Drive from your spirits dull delay, together follow ye
  16. To hold of Phrygian goddess, home of Phrygian Cybebe,
  17. Where loud the cymbal's voice resounds with timbrel-echoes blending,
  18. And where the Phrygian piper drones grave bass from reed a-bending,
  19. Where toss their ivy-circled heads with might the Maenades
  20. Where ply mid shrilly lullilooes the holiest mysteries,
  21. Where to fly here and there be wont the she-god's vaguing train,
  22. Thither behoves us lead the dance in quick-step hasty strain."
  23. Soon as had Atys (bastard-she) this lay to comrades sung
  24. The Chorus sudden lulliloos with quivering, quavering tongue,
  25. Again the nimble timbrel groans, the scooped-out cymbals clash,
  26. And up green Ida flits the Choir, with footsteps hurrying rash
  27. Then Atys frantic, panting, raves, a-wandering, lost, insane,
  28. And leads with timbrel hent and treads the shades where shadows rain,
  29. Like heifer spurning load of yoke in yet unbroken pride;
  30. And the swift Gallae follow fain their first and fleet-foot guide.
  31. But when the home of Cybele they make with toil out-worn
  32. O'er much, they lay them down to sleep and gifts of Ceres scorn;
  33. Till heavy slumbers seal their eyelids langourous, drooping lowly,
  34. And raving frenzy flies each brain departing softly, slowly.
  35. But when Dan Sol with radiant eyes that fire his face of gold
  36. Surveyed white aether and solid soil and waters uncontrol'd,