Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Speed ye, the well-spun woof out-drawing, speed ye, 0 Spindles.
  2. Thus in the bygone day Peleus' fate foretelling
  3. Chaunted from breasts divine prophetic verse the Parcae.
  4. For that the pure chaste homes of heroes to visit in person
  5. Oft-tide the Gods, and themselves to display where mortals were gathered,
  6. Wont were the Heavenlies while none human piety spurned.
  7. Often the Deities' Sire, in fulgent temple a-dwelling,
  8. Whenas in festal days received he his annual worship,
  9. Looked upon hundreds of bulls felled prone on pavement before him.
  10. Full oft Liber who roamed from topmost peak of Parnassus
  11. Hunted his howling host, his Thyiads with tresses dishevelled.
  12. Then with contending troops from all their city outflocking
  13. Gladly the Delphians hailed their God with smoking of altars.
  14. Often in death-full war and bravest of battle, or Mavors
  15. Or rapid Triton's Queen or eke the Virgin Rhamnusian,
  16. Bevies of weaponed men exhorting, proved their presence.
  17. But from the time when earth was stained with unspeakable scandals
  18. And forth fro' greeding breasts of all men justice departed,
  19. Then did the brother drench his hands in brotherly bloodshed,
  20. Stinted the son in heart to mourn decease of his parents,
  21. Longèd the sire to sight his first-born's funeral convoy
  22. So more freely the flower of step-dame-maiden to rifle;
  23. After that impious Queen her guiltless son underlying,
  24. Impious, the household gods with crime ne'er dreading to sully—
  25. All things fair and nefand being mixt in fury of evil
  26. Turned from ourselves avert the great goodwill of the Godheads.
  27. Wherefor they nowise deign our human assemblies to visit,
  28. Nor do they suffer themselves be met in light of the day-tide.
  1. Albeit care that consumes, with dule assiduous grieving,
  2. Me from the Learnèd Maids (Hortalus!) ever seclude,
  3. Nor can avail sweet births of the Muses thou to deliver
  4. Thought o' my mind; (so much floats it on flooding of ills:
  5. For that the Lethe-wave upsurging of late from abysses,
  6. Lavèd my brother's foot, paling with pallor of death,
  7. He whom the Trojan soil, Rhoetean shore underlying,
  8. Buries for ever and aye, forcibly snatched from our sight.
  9. ---
  10. I can address; no more shall I hear thee tell of thy doings,
  11. Say, shall I never again, brother all liefer than life,
  12. Sight thee henceforth? But I will surely love thee for ever
  13. Ever what songs I sing saddened shall be by thy death;