Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Cease, and my cheeks with showers ever in sadness be wet.
  2. E'en as from aëry heights of mountain springeth a springlet
  3. Limpidest leaping forth from rocking felted with moss,
  4. Then having headlong rolled the prone-laid valley downpouring,
  5. Populous region amid wendeth his gradual way,
  6. Sweetest solace of all to the sweltering traveller wayworn,
  7. Whenas the heavy heat fissures the fiery fields;
  8. Or, as to seamen lost in night of whirlwind a-glooming
  9. Gentle of breath there comes fairest and favouring breeze,
  10. Pollux anon being prayed, nor less vows offered to Castor:—
  11. Such was the aidance to us Manius pleased to afford.
  12. He to my narrow domains far wider limits laid open,
  13. He too gave me the house, also he gave me the dame,
  14. She upon whom both might exert them, partners in love deeds.
  15. Thither graceful of gait pacing my goddess white-hued
  16. Came and with gleaming foot on the worn sole of the threshold
  17. Stood she and prest its slab creakihg her sandals the while;
  18. E'enso with love enflamed in olden days to her helpmate,
  19. Laodamía the home Protesiléan besought,
  20. Sought, but in vain, for ne'er wi' sacrificial blood shed
  21. Victims appeased the Lords ruling Celestial seats:
  22. Never may I so joy in aught (Rhamnusian Virgin!)
  23. That I engage in deed maugrè the will of the Lords.
  24. How starved altar can crave for gore in piety poured,
  25. Laodamia learnt taught by the loss of her man,
  26. Driven perforce to loose the neck of new-wedded help-mate,
  27. Whenas a winter had gone, nor other winter had come,
  28. Ere in the long dark nights her greeding love was so sated
  29. That she had power to live maugrè a marriage broke off,
  30. Which, as the Parcae knew, too soon was fated to happen
  31. Should he a soldier sail bound for those llian walls.
  32. For that by Helena's rape, the Champion-leaders of Argives
  33. Unto herself to incite Troy had already begun,
  34. Troy (ah, curst be the name) common tomb of Asia and Europe,
  35. Troy to sad ashes that turned valour and valorous men!
  36. Eke to our brother beloved, destruction ever lamented
  37. Brought she : 0 Brother for aye lost unto wretchedmost me,
  38. Oh, to thy wretchedmost brother lost the light of his life-tide,
  39. Buried together wi' thee lieth the whole of our house:
  40. Perisht along wi' thyself forthright all joys we enjoyèd,
  41. Douce joys fed by thy love during the term of our days;
  42. Whom now art tombed so far nor 'mid familiar pavestones
  43. Nor wi' thine ashes stored near to thy kith and thy kin,
  44. But in that Troy obscene, that Troy of ill-omen, entombèd
  45. Holds thee, an alien earth-buried in uttermost bourne.
  46. Thither in haste so hot ('tis said) from allwhere the Youth-hood
  47. Grecian, farèd in hosts forth of their hearths and their homes,
  48. Lest with a stolen punk with fullest of pleasure should Paris
  49. Fairly at leisure and ease sleep in the pacific bed.
  50. Such was the hapless chance, most beautiful Laodamia,
  51. Tare fro' thee dearer than life, dearer than spirit itself,
  52. Him, that husband, whose love in so mighty a whirlpool of passion
  53. Whelmed thee absorbed and plunged deep in its gulfy abyss,
  54. E'en as the Grecians tell hard by Phenéus of Cylléne
  55. Drained was the marish and dried, forming the fattest of soils,
  56. Whenas in days long done to delve through marrow of mountains
  57. Daréd, falsing his sire, Amphtryóniades;
  58. What time sure of his shafts he smote Stymphalian monsters
  59. Slaying their host at the hest dealt by a lord of less worth,
  60. So might the gateway of Heaven be trodden by more of the godheads,
  61. Nor might Hébé abide longer to maidenhood doomed.
  62. Yet was the depth of thy love far deeper than deepest of marish
  63. Which the hard mistress's yoke taught him so tamely to bear;
  64. Never was head so dear to a grandsire wasted by life-tide
  65. Whenas one daughter alone a grandson so tardy had reared,
  66. Who being found against hope to inherit riches of forbears
  67. In the well-witnessed Will haply by name did appear,
  68. And 'spite impious hopes of baffled claimant to kinship
  69. Startles the Vulturine grip clutching the frost-bitten poll.
  70. Nor with such rapture e'er joyed his mate of snowy-hued plumage
  71. Dove-mate, albeit aye wont in her immoderate heat
  72. Said be the bird to snatch hot kisses with beak ever billing,
  73. As diddest thou :—yet is Woman multivolent still.
  74. But thou 'vailedest alone all these to conquer in love-lowe,
  75. When conjoindd once more unto thy yellow-haired spouse.
  76. Worthy of yielding to her in naught or ever so little
  77. Came to the bosom of us she, the fair light of my life,
  78. Round whom fluttering oft the Love-God hither and thither
  79. Shone with a candid sheen robed in his safflower dress.
  80. She though never she bide with one Catullus contented,
  81. Yet will I bear with the rare thefts of my dame the discreet,
  82. Lest over-irk I give which still of fools is the fashion.
  83. Often did Juno eke Queen of the Heavenly host
  84. Boil wi' the rabidest rage at dire default of a husband
  85. Learning the manifold thefts of her omnivolent Jove,
  86. Yet with the Gods mankind 'tis nowise righteous to liken,
  87. ---
  88. Rid me of graceless task fit for a tremulous sire.
  89. Yet was she never to me by hand paternal committed
  90. Whenas she came to my house reeking Assyrian scents;
  91. Nay, in the darkness of night her furtive favours she deigned me,
  92. Self-willed taking herself from very mate's very breast.
  93. Wherefore I hold it enough since given to us and us only