Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Whenas in festal days received he his annual worship,
  2. Looked upon hundreds of bulls felled prone on pavement before him.
  3. Full oft Liber who roamed from topmost peak of Parnassus
  4. Hunted his howling host, his Thyiads with tresses dishevelled.
  5. Then with contending troops from all their city outflocking
  6. Gladly the Delphians hailed their God with smoking of altars.
  7. Often in death-full war and bravest of battle, or Mavors
  8. Or rapid Triton's Queen or eke the Virgin Rhamnusian,
  9. Bevies of weaponed men exhorting, proved their presence.
  10. But from the time when earth was stained with unspeakable scandals
  11. And forth fro' greeding breasts of all men justice departed,
  12. Then did the brother drench his hands in brotherly bloodshed,
  13. Stinted the son in heart to mourn decease of his parents,
  14. Longèd the sire to sight his first-born's funeral convoy
  15. So more freely the flower of step-dame-maiden to rifle;
  16. After that impious Queen her guiltless son underlying,
  17. Impious, the household gods with crime ne'er dreading to sully—