Carmina

Catullus

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

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