Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Thus in the bygone day Peleus' fate foretelling
  2. Chaunted from breasts divine prophetic verse the Parcae.
  3. For that the pure chaste homes of heroes to visit in person
  4. Oft-tide the Gods, and themselves to display where mortals were gathered,
  5. Wont were the Heavenlies while none human piety spurned.
  6. Often the Deities' Sire, in fulgent temple a-dwelling,
  7. Whenas in festal days received he his annual worship,
  8. Looked upon hundreds of bulls felled prone on pavement before him.
  9. Full oft Liber who roamed from topmost peak of Parnassus
  10. Hunted his howling host, his Thyiads with tresses dishevelled.
  11. Then with contending troops from all their city outflocking
  12. Gladly the Delphians hailed their God with smoking of altars.
  13. Often in death-full war and bravest of battle, or Mavors
  14. Or rapid Triton's Queen or eke the Virgin Rhamnusian,
  15. Bevies of weaponed men exhorting, proved their presence.
  16. But from the time when earth was stained with unspeakable scandals
  17. And forth fro' greeding breasts of all men justice departed,
  18. Then did the brother drench his hands in brotherly bloodshed,
  19. Stinted the son in heart to mourn decease of his parents,
  20. Longèd the sire to sight his first-born's funeral convoy
  21. So more freely the flower of step-dame-maiden to rifle;
  22. After that impious Queen her guiltless son underlying,
  23. Impious, the household gods with crime ne'er dreading to sully—
  24. All things fair and nefand being mixt in fury of evil
  25. Turned from ourselves avert the great goodwill of the Godheads.