Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Then will I hang stained sails fast-made to the wavering yard-arms,
  2. So shall our mourning thought and burning torture of spirit
  3. Show by the dark sombre-dye of Iberian canvas spread.
  4. But, grant me the grace Who dwells in Sacred Itone,
  5. (And our issue to guard and ward the seats of Erechtheus
  6. Sware She) that if your right is besprent with blood of the Man-Bull,
  7. Then do you so-wise act, and stored in memory's heart-core
  8. Dwell these mandates of me, no time their traces untracing.
  9. Dip, when first shall arise our hills to gladden your eye-glance,
  10. Down from your every mast the ill-omened vestments of mourning,
  11. Then let the twisten ropes upheave the whitest of canvas,
  12. Wherewith splendid shall gleam the tallest spars of the top-mast,
  13. These seeing sans delay with joy exalting my spirit
  14. Well shall I wot boon Time sets you returning before me."

  15. Such were the mandates which stored at first in memory constant
  16. Faded from Theseus' mind like mists, compelled by the whirlwind,
  17. Fleet from aerial crests of mountains hoary with snow-drifts.
  18. But as the sire had sought the citadel's summit for outlook,
  19. Wasting his anxious eyes with tear-floods evermore flowing,
  20. Forthright e'en as he saw the sail-gear darkened with dye-stain,
  21. Headlong himself flung he from the sea-cliff's pinnacled summit
  22. Holding his Theseus lost by doom of pitiless Fortune.
  23. Thus as he came to the home funest, his roof-tree paternal,
  24. Theseus (vaunting the death), what dule to the maiden of Minos
  25. Dealt with unminding mind so dree'd he similar dolour.
  26. She too gazing in grief at the kelson vanishing slowly,
  27. Self-wrapt, manifold cares revolved in spirit perturbed.
    1. But from the further side came flitting bright-faced Iacchus
    2. Girded by Satyr-crew and Nysa-reared Sileni
    3. Burning with love unto thee (Ariadne!) and greeting thy presence. ---
    4. Who flocking eager to fray did rave with infuriate spirit,
    5. "Evoe" frenzying loud, with heads at "Evoe" rolling.
    6. Brandisht some of the maids their thyrsi sheathed of spear-point,
    7. Some snatcht limbs and joints of sturlings rended to pieces,
    8. These girt necks and waists with writhing bodies of vipers,
    9. Those with the gear enwombed in crates dark orgies ordained—
    10. Orgies that ears profane must vainly lust for o'er hearing—
    11. Others with palms on high smote hurried strokes on the cymbal,