Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Oh, to thy wretchedmost brother lost the light of his life-tide,
  2. Buried together wi' thee lieth the whole of our house:
  3. Perisht along wi' thyself forthright all joys we enjoyèd,
  4. Douce joys fed by thy love during the term of our days;
  5. Whom now art tombed so far nor 'mid familiar pavestones
  6. Nor wi' thine ashes stored near to thy kith and thy kin,
  7. But in that Troy obscene, that Troy of ill-omen, entombèd
  8. Holds thee, an alien earth-buried in uttermost bourne.
  9. Thither in haste so hot ('tis said) from allwhere the Youth-hood
  10. Grecian, farèd in hosts forth of their hearths and their homes,
  11. Lest with a stolen punk with fullest of pleasure should Paris
  12. Fairly at leisure and ease sleep in the pacific bed.
  13. Such was the hapless chance, most beautiful Laodamia,
  14. Tare fro' thee dearer than life, dearer than spirit itself,
  15. Him, that husband, whose love in so mighty a whirlpool of passion
  16. Whelmed thee absorbed and plunged deep in its gulfy abyss,
  17. E'en as the Grecians tell hard by Phenéus of Cylléne
  18. Drained was the marish and dried, forming the fattest of soils,
  19. Whenas in days long done to delve through marrow of mountains
  20. Daréd, falsing his sire, Amphtryóniades;
  21. What time sure of his shafts he smote Stymphalian monsters
  22. Slaying their host at the hest dealt by a lord of less worth,
  23. So might the gateway of Heaven be trodden by more of the godheads,
  24. Nor might Hébé abide longer to maidenhood doomed.
  25. Yet was the depth of thy love far deeper than deepest of marish
  26. Which the hard mistress's yoke taught him so tamely to bear;
  27. Never was head so dear to a grandsire wasted by life-tide
  28. Whenas one daughter alone a grandson so tardy had reared,
  29. Who being found against hope to inherit riches of forbears
  30. In the well-witnessed Will haply by name did appear,
  31. And 'spite impious hopes of baffled claimant to kinship
  32. Startles the Vulturine grip clutching the frost-bitten poll.
  33. Nor with such rapture e'er joyed his mate of snowy-hued plumage
  34. Dove-mate, albeit aye wont in her immoderate heat
  35. Said be the bird to snatch hot kisses with beak ever billing,
  36. As diddest thou :—yet is Woman multivolent still.
  37. But thou 'vailedest alone all these to conquer in love-lowe,
  38. When conjoindd once more unto thy yellow-haired spouse.
  39. Worthy of yielding to her in naught or ever so little
  40. Came to the bosom of us she, the fair light of my life,
  41. Round whom fluttering oft the Love-God hither and thither
  42. Shone with a candid sheen robed in his safflower dress.
  43. She though never she bide with one Catullus contented,
  44. Yet will I bear with the rare thefts of my dame the discreet,
  45. Lest over-irk I give which still of fools is the fashion.
  46. Often did Juno eke Queen of the Heavenly host
  47. Boil wi' the rabidest rage at dire default of a husband
  48. Learning the manifold thefts of her omnivolent Jove,
  49. Yet with the Gods mankind 'tis nowise righteous to liken,
  50. ---
  51. Rid me of graceless task fit for a tremulous sire.
  52. Yet was she never to me by hand paternal committed
  53. Whenas she came to my house reeking Assyrian scents;
  54. Nay, in the darkness of night her furtive favours she deigned me,
  55. Self-willed taking herself from very mate's very breast.