Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Yet thine a sire and step-dame who
  2. Wi' tooth can ever flint-food chew!
  3. So thou, and pleasant happy life
  4. Lead wi' thy parents wooden wife.
  5. Nor be this marvel: hale are all,
  6. Well ye digest; no fears appal
  7. For household-arsons, heavy ruin,
  8. Plunderings impious, poison-brewin'
  9. Or other parlous case forlorn.
  10. Your frames are hard and dried like horn,
  11. Or if more arid aught ye know
  12. By suns and frosts and hunger-throe.
  13. Then why not happy as thou'rt hale?
  14. Sweat's strange to thee, spit fails, and fail
  15. Phlegm and foul snivel from the nose.