Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Such was the hapless chance, most beautiful Laodamia,
  2. Tare fro' thee dearer than life, dearer than spirit itself,
  3. Him, that husband, whose love in so mighty a whirlpool of passion
  4. Whelmed thee absorbed and plunged deep in its gulfy abyss,
  5. E'en as the Grecians tell hard by Phenéus of Cylléne
  6. Drained was the marish and dried, forming the fattest of soils,
  7. Whenas in days long done to delve through marrow of mountains
  8. Daréd, falsing his sire, Amphtryóniades;
  9. What time sure of his shafts he smote Stymphalian monsters
  10. Slaying their host at the hest dealt by a lord of less worth,
  11. So might the gateway of Heaven be trodden by more of the godheads,
  12. Nor might Hébé abide longer to maidenhood doomed.
  13. Yet was the depth of thy love far deeper than deepest of marish
  14. Which the hard mistress's yoke taught him so tamely to bear;
  15. Never was head so dear to a grandsire wasted by life-tide
  16. Whenas one daughter alone a grandson so tardy had reared,
  17. Who being found against hope to inherit riches of forbears
  18. In the well-witnessed Will haply by name did appear,
  19. And 'spite impious hopes of baffled claimant to kinship
  20. Startles the Vulturine grip clutching the frost-bitten poll.
  21. Nor with such rapture e'er joyed his mate of snowy-hued plumage
  22. Dove-mate, albeit aye wont in her immoderate heat
  23. Said be the bird to snatch hot kisses with beak ever billing,
  24. As diddest thou :—yet is Woman multivolent still.
  25. But thou 'vailedest alone all these to conquer in love-lowe,
  26. When conjoindd once more unto thy yellow-haired spouse.
  27. Worthy of yielding to her in naught or ever so little
  28. Came to the bosom of us she, the fair light of my life,
  29. Round whom fluttering oft the Love-God hither and thither
  30. Shone with a candid sheen robed in his safflower dress.
  31. She though never she bide with one Catullus contented,
  32. Yet will I bear with the rare thefts of my dame the discreet,
  33. Lest over-irk I give which still of fools is the fashion.
  34. Often did Juno eke Queen of the Heavenly host
  35. Boil wi' the rabidest rage at dire default of a husband
  36. Learning the manifold thefts of her omnivolent Jove,
  37. Yet with the Gods mankind 'tis nowise righteous to liken,
  38. ---
  39. Rid me of graceless task fit for a tremulous sire.
  40. Yet was she never to me by hand paternal committed
  41. Whenas she came to my house reeking Assyrian scents;
  42. Nay, in the darkness of night her furtive favours she deigned me,
  43. Self-willed taking herself from very mate's very breast.
  44. Wherefore I hold it enough since given to us and us only
  45. Boon of that day with Stone whiter than wont she denotes.
  46. This to thee—all that I can—this offering couched in verses
  47. (Allius!) as my return give I for service galore;
  48. So wi' the seabriny rust your name may never be sullied
  49. This day and that nor yet other and other again.
  50. Hereto add may the Gods all good gifts, which Themis erewhiles
  51. Wont on the pious of old from her full store to bestow: