Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Furius ! Nor chest, nor slaves can claim,
  2. Bug, Spider, nor e'e n hearth aflame,
  3. Yet thine a sire and step-dame who
  4. Wi' tooth can ever flint-food chew!
  5. So thou, and pleasant happy life
  6. Lead wi' thy parents wooden wife.
  7. Nor be this marvel: hale are all,
  8. Well ye digest; no fears appal
  9. For household-arsons, heavy ruin,
  10. Plunderings impious, poison-brewin'
  11. Or other parlous case forlorn.
  12. Your frames are hard and dried like horn,
  13. Or if more arid aught ye know
  14. By suns and frosts and hunger-throe.
  15. Then why not happy as thou'rt hale?
  16. Sweat's strange to thee, spit fails, and fail
  17. Phlegm and foul snivel from the nose.
  18. Add cleanness that aye cleanlier shows
  19. A bum than salt-pot cleanlier,
  20. Nor ten times cack'st in total year,