Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Drained was the marish and dried, forming the fattest of soils,
  2. Whenas in days long done to delve through marrow of mountains
  3. Daréd, falsing his sire, Amphtryóniades;
  4. What time sure of his shafts he smote Stymphalian monsters
  5. Slaying their host at the hest dealt by a lord of less worth,
  6. So might the gateway of Heaven be trodden by more of the godheads,
  7. Nor might Hébé abide longer to maidenhood doomed.
  8. Yet was the depth of thy love far deeper than deepest of marish
  9. Which the hard mistress's yoke taught him so tamely to bear;
  10. Never was head so dear to a grandsire wasted by life-tide
  11. Whenas one daughter alone a grandson so tardy had reared,
  12. Who being found against hope to inherit riches of forbears
  13. In the well-witnessed Will haply by name did appear,
  14. And 'spite impious hopes of baffled claimant to kinship
  15. Startles the Vulturine grip clutching the frost-bitten poll.
  16. Nor with such rapture e'er joyed his mate of snowy-hued plumage
  17. Dove-mate, albeit aye wont in her immoderate heat
  18. Said be the bird to snatch hot kisses with beak ever billing,
  19. As diddest thou :—yet is Woman multivolent still.
  20. But thou 'vailedest alone all these to conquer in love-lowe,
  21. When conjoindd once more unto thy yellow-haired spouse.
  22. Worthy of yielding to her in naught or ever so little
  23. Came to the bosom of us she, the fair light of my life,
  24. Round whom fluttering oft the Love-God hither and thither
  25. Shone with a candid sheen robed in his safflower dress.
  26. She though never she bide with one Catullus contented,
  27. Yet will I bear with the rare thefts of my dame the discreet,
  28. Lest over-irk I give which still of fools is the fashion.
  29. Often did Juno eke Queen of the Heavenly host
  30. Boil wi' the rabidest rage at dire default of a husband
  31. Learning the manifold thefts of her omnivolent Jove,
  32. Yet with the Gods mankind 'tis nowise righteous to liken,
  33. ---
  34. Rid me of graceless task fit for a tremulous sire.
  35. Yet was she never to me by hand paternal committed
  36. Whenas she came to my house reeking Assyrian scents;
  37. Nay, in the darkness of night her furtive favours she deigned me,