Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Hast thou cajoled me thus, and enfiring innermost vitals,
  2. Ravished the whole of our good own'd by wretchedest me?
  3. Ravished; (alas and alas!) of our life thou cruellest cruel
  4. Venom, (alas and alas!) plague of our friendship and pest.
  5. Yet must I now lament that lips so pure of the purest
  6. Damsel, thy slaver foul soiled with filthiest kiss.
  7. But ne'er hope to escape scot free; for thee shall all ages
  8. Know, and what thing thou be, Fame, the old crone, shall declare.
  1. Gallus hath brothers in pair, this owning most beautiful consort,
  2. While unto that is given also a beautiful son.
  3. Gallus is charming as man; for sweet loves ever conjoins he,
  4. So that the charming lad sleep wi' the charmer his lass.
  5. Gallus is foolish wight, nor self regards he as husband,
  6. When being uncle how nuncle to cuckold he show.
  1. Lesbius is beauty-man: why not? when Lesbia wills him
  2. Better, Catullus, than thee backed by the whole of thy clan.
  3. Yet may that beauty-man sell all his clan with Catullus,
  4. An of three noted names greeting salute he can gain.
  1. How shall I (Gellius!) tell what way lips rosy as thine are
  2. Come to be bleached and blanched whiter than wintry snow,
  3. When as thou quittest the house a-morn, and at two after noon-tide
  4. Roused from quiet repose, wakest for length of the day?
  5. Certès sure am I not an Rumour rightfully whisper
  6. . . . . . . .
  7. . . . . . . . .
  8. . . . . . . .
  1. Could there never be found in folk so thronging (Juventius!)
  2. Any one charming thee whom thou couldst fancy to love,
  3. Save and except that host from deadliest site of Pisaurum,
  4. Wight than a statue gilt wanner and yellower-hued,
  5. Whom to thy heart thou takest and whom thou darest before us
  6. Choose? But villain what deed doest thou little canst wot!
  1. Quintius! an thou wish that Catullus should owe thee his eyes
  2. Or aught further if aught dearer can be than his eyes,
  3. Thou wilt not ravish from him what deems he dearer and nearer
  4. E'en than his eyes if aught dearer there be than his eyes.
  1. Lesbia heaps upon me foul words her mate being present;
  2. Which to that simple soul causes the fullest delight.
  3. Mule! naught sensest thou: did she forget us in silence,
  4. Whole she had been; but now what so she rails and she snarls,
  5. Not only dwells in her thought, but worse and even more risky,
  6. Wrathful she bides. Which means, she is afire and she fumes.
  1. Wontis Arrius say "Chommodious" whenas "commodious"
  2. Means he, and "Insidious "aspirate "Hinsidious,"
  3. What time flattering self he speaks with marvellous purity,
  4. Clamouring "Hinsidious" loudly as ever he can.
  5. Deem I thus did his dame and thus-wise Liber his uncle
  6. Speak, and on spindle-side grandsire and grandmother too.
  7. Restful reposed all ears when he was sent into Syria,
  8. Hearing the self-same words softly and smoothly pronouncèd,