Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Hither, Oh hither, speed, and lend you all ear to my grievance,
  2. Which now sad I (alas!) outpour from innermost vitals
  3. Maugre my will, sans help, blind, fired with furious madness.
  4. And, as indeed all spring from veriest core of my bosom,
  5. Suffer you not the cause of grief and woe to evanish;
  6. But with the Will wherewith could Theseus leave me in loneness,
  7. Goddesses! bid that Will lead him, lead his, to destruction."

  8. E'en as she thus poured forth these words from anguish of bosom,
  9. And for this cruel deed, distracted, sued she for vengeance,
  10. Nodded the Ruler of Gods Celestial, matchless of All-might,
  11. When at the gest earth-plain and horrid spaces of ocean
  12. Trembled, and every sphere rockt stars and planets resplendent.
  13. Meanwhile Theseus himself, obscured in blindness of darkness
  14. As to his mind, dismiss'd from breast oblivious all things
  15. Erewhile enjoined and held hereto in memory constant,
  16. Nor for his saddened sire the gladness-signals uphoisting
  17. Heralded safe return within sight of the Erechthean harbour.
  18. For 'twas told of yore, when from walls of the Virginal Deess
  19. Aegeus speeding his son, to the care of breezes committed,
  20. Thus with a last embrace to the youth spoke words of commandment:

  21. "Son! far nearer my heart (you alone) than life of the longest,
  22. Son, I perforce dismiss to doubtful, dangerous chances,
  23. Lately restored to me when eld draws nearest his ending,
  24. Since such fortune in me, and in you such boiling of valour
  25. Tear you away from me so loath, whose eyes in their languor
  26. Never are sated with sight of my son, all-dearest of figures.
  27. Nor will I send you forth with joy that gladdens my bosom,
  28. Nor will I suffer you show boon signs of favouring Fortune,
  29. But from my soul I'll first express an issue of sorrow,