Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Now let the bride at length to her yearning spouse be delivered.
  2. Speed ye, the well-spun woof out-drawing, speed ye, 0 Spindles.
  1. Neither the nurse who comes at dawn to visit her nursling
  2. E'er shall avail her neck to begird with yesterday's ribband.
  3. [Speed ye, the well-spun woof out-drawing, speed ye, 0 spindles.]
  4. Nor shall the mother's soul for ill-matcht daughter a-grieving
  5. Lose by a parted couch all hopes of favourite grandsons.
  6. Speed ye, the well-spun woof out-drawing, speed ye, 0 Spindles.
  7. Thus in the bygone day Peleus' fate foretelling
  8. Chaunted from breasts divine prophetic verse the Parcae.
  9. For that the pure chaste homes of heroes to visit in person
  10. Oft-tide the Gods, and themselves to display where mortals were gathered,
  11. Wont were the Heavenlies while none human piety spurned.
  12. Often the Deities' Sire, in fulgent temple a-dwelling,
  13. Whenas in festal days received he his annual worship,
  14. Looked upon hundreds of bulls felled prone on pavement before him.
  15. Full oft Liber who roamed from topmost peak of Parnassus
  16. Hunted his howling host, his Thyiads with tresses dishevelled.
  17. Then with contending troops from all their city outflocking
  18. Gladly the Delphians hailed their God with smoking of altars.