Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Thou ask'st How many kissing bouts I bore
  2. From thee (my Lesbia!) or be enough or more?
  3. I say what mighty sum of Lybian-sands
  4. Confine Cyrene's Laserpitium-lands
  5. 'Twixt Oracle of Jove the Swelterer
  6. And olden Battus' holy Sepulchre,
  7. Or stars innumerate through night-stillness ken
  8. The stolen Love-delights of mortal men,
  9. For that to kiss thee with unending kisses
  10. For mad Catullus enough and more be this,
  11. Risses nor curious wight shall count their tale,
  12. Nor to bewitch us evil tongue avail.
  1. Woe-full Catullus! cease to play the fool
  2. And what thou seest dead as dead regard!
  3. Whilòme the sheeniest suns for thee did shine
  4. When oft-a-tripping whither led the girl
  5. By us beloved, as shall none be loved.
  6. There all so merry doings then were done
  7. After thy liking, nor the girl was loath.
  8. Then certès sheeniest suns for thee did shine.
  9. Now she's unwilling: thou too (hapless!) will
  10. Her flight to follow, and sad life to live:
  11. Endure with stubborn soul and still obdure.
  12. Damsel, adieu! Catullus obdurate grown
  13. Nor seeks thee, neither asks of thine unwill;
  14. Yet shalt thou sorrow when none woos thee more;
  15. Reprobate! Woe to thee! What life remains?
  16. Who now shall love thee? Who'll think thee fair?
  17. Whom now shalt ever love? Whose wilt be called?
  18. To whom shalt kisses give? whose liplets nip?
  19. But thou (Catullus!) destiny-doomed obdure.
  1. Veranius! over every friend of me
  2. Forestanding, owned I hundred thousands three,
  3. Home to Penates and to single-soul'd
  4. Brethren, returned art thou and mother old?
  5. Yes, thou art come. Oh, winsome news come well!