Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. So clean forth of thy breast, rackt with solicitous care,
  2. Mind fled, sense being reft! But I have known thee for certain
  3. E'en from young virginal years lofty of spirit to be.
  4. Hast thou forgotten the feat whose greatness won thee a royal
  5. Marriage—a deed so prow, never a prower was dared?
  6. Yet how sad was the speech thou spakest, thy husband farewelling!
  7. (Jupiter!) Often thine eyes wiping with sorrowful hand!
  8. What manner God so great thus changed thee? Is it that lovers
  9. Never will tarry afar parted from person beloved?
  10. Then unto every God on behalf of thy helpmate, thy sweeting,
  11. Me thou gayest in vow, not without bloodshed of bulls,
  12. If he be granted return, and long while nowise delaying,
  13. Captive Asia he add unto Egyptian bounds.
  14. Now for such causes I, enrolled in host of the Heavens,
  15. By a new present, discharge promise thou madest of old:
  16. Maugrè my will, 0 Queen, my place on thy head I relinquished,
  17. Maugrè my will, I attest, swearing by thee and thy head;
  18. Penalty due shall befall whoso makes oath to no purpose.
  19. Yet who assumes the vaunt forceful as iron to be?
  20. E'en was that mount o'erthrown, though greatest in universe, where through
  21. Thía's illustrious race speeded its voyage to end,
  22. Whenas the Medes brought forth new sea, and barbarous youth-hood
  23. Urged an Armada to swim traversing middle-Athos.
  24. What can be done by Hair when such things yield them to Iron?
  25. Jupiter! Grant Chalybon perish the whole of the race,