Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Who laps of zone to loose aspire,
  2. And thee the bashful bridegrooms woo
  3. With ears that long to hear.
  4. Thou to the hand of love-fierce swain
  5. Deliverest maiden fair and fain,
  6. From mother's fondling bosom ta'en
  7. Perforce, 0 Hymenaeus Hymen
  8. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  9. Thou lacking, Venus ne'er avails—
  10. While Fame approves for honesty—
  11. Love-joys to lavish: ne'er she fails
  12. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  13. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  14. Thou wanting, never son and heir
  15. The Hearth can bear, nor parents be
  16. By issue girt, yet can it bear,
  17. Thou willing:—with such Deity,
  18. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  19. An lack a land thy sacring rite,
  20. The perfect rule we ne'er shall see
  21. Reach Earth's far bourne; yet such we sight,
  22. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  23. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  24. Your folds ye gateways wide-ope swing!
  25. The maiden comes. Seest not the sheen
  26. Of links their splendent tresses fling?
  27. Let shame retard the modest mien.
  28. ---
  29. ---
  30. Who more she hears us weeps the more,
  31. That needs she must advance.
  32. Cease raining tear-drops! not for thee,
  33. Aurunculeia, risk we deem,
  34. That fairer femininety
  35. Clear day outdawned from Ocean stream
  36. Shall ever more behold.
  37. Such in the many-tinted bower
  38. Of rich man's garden passing gay
  39. Upstands the hyacinthine flower.
  40. But thou delayest, wanes the day:
  41. “Prithee, come forth new Bride.”
  42. Prithee, come forth new Bride! methinks,
  43. Drawing in sight, the talk we hold
  44. Thou haply hearest. See the Links!
  45. How shake their locks begilt with gold:
  46. Prithee, new Bride come forth.
  47. Not lightly given thy mate to ill
  48. Joys and adulterous delights
  49. Foul fleshly pleasures seeking still
  50. Shall ever choose he lie o' nights
  51. Far from thy tender paps.
  52. But as with pliant shoots the vine
  53. Round nearest tree-trunk winds her way,
  54. He shall be ever twined in thine
  55. Embraces:— yet, lo! wanes the day:
  56. Prithee, come forth new Bride!
  57. Couchlet which to me and all
  58. ---
  59. With bright white bedstead foot.
  60. What joys the lord of thee betide!
  61. What love-liesse on vaguing way
  62. 0' nights! What sweets in morning tide
  63. For thee be stored! Yet wanes the day:
  64. Prithee, come forth fresh Bride!
  65. Your lighted links, 0 boys, wave high:
  66. I see the flamey veil draw nigh:
  67. Hie, sing in merry mode and cry
  68. "0 Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  69. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus!"
  70. Lest longer mute tongue stays that joys
  71. In festal jest, from Fescennine,
  72. Nor yet denay their nuts to boys,
  73. He-Concubine! who learns in fine
  74. His lordling's love is fled.
  75. Throw nuts to boys thou idle all
  76. He-Concubine! wast fain full long
  77. With nuts to play: now pleased as thrall
  78. Be thou to swell Talasios' throng:
  79. He-Concubine throw nuts.
  80. Wont thou at peasant-girls to jape
  81. He-whore! Thy Lord's delight the while:
  82. Now shall hair-curling chattel scrape
  83. Thy cheeks: poor wretch, ah! poor and vile:—
  84. He-Concubine, throw nuts.
  85. 'Tis said from smooth-faced ingle train
  86. (Anointed bridegroom!) hardly fain
  87. Hast e'er refrained; now do refrain!
  88. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  89. O Hymen Hymenaeus!
  90. We know that naught save licit rites
  91. Be known to thee, but wedded wights
  92. No more deem lawful such delights.
  93. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  94. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  95. Thou too, 0 Bride, whatever dare
  96. Thy groom, of coy rebuff beware,
  97. Lest he to find elsewhither fare.
  98. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  99. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  100. Lo! here the house of high degree
  101. Thy husband's puissant home to be,
  102. Which ever shall obey thy gree.
  103. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  104. O Hymen Hymenaeus!
  105. Till Time betide when eld the hoar
  106. Thy head and temples trembling o'er
  107. Make nod to all things evermore.
  108. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  109. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  110. O'erstep with omen meetest meet
  111. The threshold-stone thy golden feet
  112. Up, past the polisht panels fleet.
  113. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  114. O Hymen Hymerneus.
  115. Within bestrewn thy bridegroom see
  116. On couch of Tyrian cramoisy
  117. All imminent awaiting thee.
  118. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  119. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  120. For in his breast not less than thine
  121. Burn high the flames that deepest shrine,
  122. Yet his the lowe far deeper lien.
  123. O Hymen Hymemeus io,
  124. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  125. Let fall the maid's soft arms, thou fair
  126. Boy purple-hem'd: now be thy care
  127. Her bridegroom's couch she seek and share.
  128. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  129. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  130. Ye wives time-tried to husbands wed,
  131. Well-known for chastity inbred,
  132. Dispose the virginette a-bed.
  133. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  134. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  135. Groom, now 'tis meet thou hither pace,
  136. With bride in genial bed to blend,
  137. For sheenly shines her flowery face
  138. Where the white chamomiles contend
  139. With poppies blushing red.
  140. Yet bridegroom (So may Godhead deign
  141. Help me!) nowise in humbler way
  142. Art fair, nor Venus shall disdain
  143. Thy charms, but look! how wanes the day:
  144. Forward, nor loiter more!
  145. No longer loitering makest thou,
  146. Now comest thou. May Venus good
  147. Aid thee when frankly takest thou