Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Swam (as the tale is told) through liquid surges of Neptune
  2. Far as the Phasis-flood and frontier-land Aeetean;
  3. Whenas the youths elect, of Argive vigour the oak-heart,
  4. Longing the Golden Fleece of the Colchis-region to harry,
  5. Dared in a poop swift-paced to span salt seas and their shallows,
  6. Sweeping the deep blue seas with sweeps a-carven of fir-wood.
  7. She, that governing Goddess of citadels crowning the cities,
  8. Builded herself their car fast-flitting with lightest of breezes,
  9. Weaving plants of the pine conjoined in curve of the kelson;
  10. Foremost of all to imbue rude Amphitrite with ship-lore.
  11. Soon as her beak had burst through wind-rackt spaces of ocean,
  12. While the oar-tortured wave with spumy whiteness was blanching,
  13. Surged from the deep abyss and hoar-capped billows the faces
  14. Seaborn, Nereids eyeing the prodigy wonder-smitten.
  15. There too mortal orbs through softened spendours regarded
  16. Ocean-nymphs who exposed bodies denuded of raiment
  17. Bare to the breast upthrust from hoar froth capping the sea-depths.
  18. Then Thetis Peleus fired (men say) a-sudden with love,
  19. Then Thetis nowise spurned to mate and marry with mortal,
  20. Then Thetis' Sire himself her yoke with Peleus sanctioned.
  21. Oh, in those happier days now fondly yearned-for, you heroes
  22. Born; (all hail!) of the gods begotten, and excellent issue
  23. Bred by your mothers, all hail! and placid deal me your favour.
  24. Oft with the sound of me, in strains and spells I'll invoke you;
  25. You too by wedding-torch so happily, highly augmented,
  26. Peleus, Thessaly's ward, in whose favor Jupiter himself,
  27. The Father of the gods, resigned his passions.
  28. You Thetis, fairest of maids Nereian, vouchsafed to marry?
  29. You did Tethys empower to woo and wed with her grandchild;
  30. Nor less Oceanus, with water compassing th' Earth-globe?
  31. But when ended the term, and wisht-for light of the day-tide
  32. Uprose, flocks to the house in concourse mighty, convened,
  33. Thessaly all, with glad assembly the Palace fulfilling:
  34. Presents afore they bring, and joy in faces declare they.
  35. Cieros abides a desert: they quit Phthiotican Tempe,
  36. Homesteads of Crannon-town, eke bulwarkt walls Larissa;
  37. Meeting at Pharsalus, and roof Pharsalian seeking.
  38. None will the fields now till; soft wax all necks the oxen,
  39. Never the humble vine is purged by curve of the rake-tooth,
  40. Never a pruner's hook thins out the shade of the tree-tufts,
  41. Never a bull up-plows broad glebe with bend of the coulter,
  42. Over whose point unuse displays the squalor of rust-stain.
  43. But in the homestead's heart, where'er that opulent palace
  44. Hides a retreat, all shines with splendour of gold and of silver.
  45. Ivory blanches the seats, bright gleam the flagons a-table,
  46. All of the mansion joys in royal riches and grandeur.
  47. But for the Diva's use bestrewn is the genial bedstead,
  48. Hidden in midmost stead, and its polisht framework of Indian
  49. Tusk underlies its cloth empurpled by juice of the dye-shell.
  50. This be a figured cloth with forms of manhood primeval
  51. Showing by marvel-art the gifts and graces of heroes.
  52. Here upon Dia's strand wave-resonant, ever-regarding
  53. Theseus borne from sight outside by fleet of the fleetest,
  54. Stands Ariadne with heart full-filled with furies unbated,