Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Which the hard mistress's yoke taught him so tamely to bear;
  2. Never was head so dear to a grandsire wasted by life-tide
  3. Whenas one daughter alone a grandson so tardy had reared,
  4. Who being found against hope to inherit riches of forbears
  5. In the well-witnessed Will haply by name did appear,
  6. And 'spite impious hopes of baffled claimant to kinship
  7. Startles the Vulturine grip clutching the frost-bitten poll.
  8. Nor with such rapture e'er joyed his mate of snowy-hued plumage
  9. Dove-mate, albeit aye wont in her immoderate heat
  10. Said be the bird to snatch hot kisses with beak ever billing,
  11. As diddest thou :—yet is Woman multivolent still.
  12. But thou 'vailedest alone all these to conquer in love-lowe,
  13. When conjoindd once more unto thy yellow-haired spouse.
  14. Worthy of yielding to her in naught or ever so little