Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. This be a figured cloth with forms of manhood primeval
  2. Showing by marvel-art the gifts and graces of heroes.
  3. Here upon Dia's strand wave-resonant, ever-regarding
  4. Theseus borne from sight outside by fleet of the fleetest,
  5. Stands Ariadne with heart full-filled with furies unbated,
  6. Nor can her sense as yet believe she 'spies the espied,
  7. When like one that awakes new roused from slumber deceptive,
  8. Sees she her hapless self lone left on loneliest sandbank:
  9. While as the mindless youth with oars disturbeth the shallows,
  10. Casts to the windy storms what vows he vainly had vowed.
  11. Him through the sedges afar the sad-eyed maiden of Minos,
  12. Likest a Bacchant-girl stone-carven, (O her sorrow!)
  13. 'Spies, a-tossing the while on sorest billows of love-care.
  14. Now no more on her blood-hued hair fine fillets retains she,
  15. No more now light veil conceals her bosom erst hidden,
  16. Now no more smooth zone contains her milky-hued paplets:
  17. All gear dropping adown from every part of her person
  18. Thrown, lie fronting her feet to the briny wavelets a sea-toy.
  19. But at such now no more of her veil or her fillet a-floating
  20. Had she regard: on you, Theseus! all of her heart-strength,