Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. While Fame approves for honesty—
  2. Love-joys to lavish: ne'er she fails
  3. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  4. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  5. Thou wanting, never son and heir
  6. The Hearth can bear, nor parents be
  7. By issue girt, yet can it bear,
  8. Thou willing:—with such Deity,
  9. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  10. An lack a land thy sacring rite,
  11. The perfect rule we ne'er shall see
  12. Reach Earth's far bourne; yet such we sight,
  13. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  14. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  15. Your folds ye gateways wide-ope swing!
  16. The maiden comes. Seest not the sheen
  17. Of links their splendent tresses fling?
  18. Let shame retard the modest mien.
  19. ---
  20. ---
  21. Who more she hears us weeps the more,
  22. That needs she must advance.
  23. Cease raining tear-drops! not for thee,
  24. Aurunculeia, risk we deem,
  25. That fairer femininety
  26. Clear day outdawned from Ocean stream
  27. Shall ever more behold.
  28. Such in the many-tinted bower
  29. Of rich man's garden passing gay
  30. Upstands the hyacinthine flower.
  31. But thou delayest, wanes the day:
  32. “Prithee, come forth new Bride.”
  33. Prithee, come forth new Bride! methinks,
  34. Drawing in sight, the talk we hold
  35. Thou haply hearest. See the Links!
  36. How shake their locks begilt with gold:
  37. Prithee, new Bride come forth.
  38. Not lightly given thy mate to ill
  39. Joys and adulterous delights
  40. Foul fleshly pleasures seeking still
  41. Shall ever choose he lie o' nights
  42. Far from thy tender paps.
  43. But as with pliant shoots the vine
  44. Round nearest tree-trunk winds her way,
  45. He shall be ever twined in thine
  46. Embraces:— yet, lo! wanes the day:
  47. Prithee, come forth new Bride!
  48. Couchlet which to me and all
  49. ---