Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Thou willing:—with such Deity,
  2. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  3. An lack a land thy sacring rite,
  4. The perfect rule we ne'er shall see
  5. Reach Earth's far bourne; yet such we sight,
  6. Thou willing:—with such Deity
  7. Whoe'er shall dare compare?
  8. Your folds ye gateways wide-ope swing!
  9. The maiden comes. Seest not the sheen
  10. Of links their splendent tresses fling?
  11. Let shame retard the modest mien.
  12. ---
  13. ---
  14. Who more she hears us weeps the more,
  15. That needs she must advance.
  16. Cease raining tear-drops! not for thee,
  17. Aurunculeia, risk we deem,
  18. That fairer femininety
  19. Clear day outdawned from Ocean stream
  20. Shall ever more behold.
  21. Such in the many-tinted bower
  22. Of rich man's garden passing gay
  23. Upstands the hyacinthine flower.
  24. But thou delayest, wanes the day:
  25. “Prithee, come forth new Bride.”
  26. Prithee, come forth new Bride! methinks,
  27. Drawing in sight, the talk we hold
  28. Thou haply hearest. See the Links!
  29. How shake their locks begilt with gold:
  30. Prithee, new Bride come forth.
  31. Not lightly given thy mate to ill
  32. Joys and adulterous delights
  33. Foul fleshly pleasures seeking still
  34. Shall ever choose he lie o' nights
  35. Far from thy tender paps.
  36. But as with pliant shoots the vine
  37. Round nearest tree-trunk winds her way,
  38. He shall be ever twined in thine
  39. Embraces:— yet, lo! wanes the day:
  40. Prithee, come forth new Bride!
  41. Couchlet which to me and all
  42. ---
  43. With bright white bedstead foot.
  44. What joys the lord of thee betide!
  45. What love-liesse on vaguing way
  46. 0' nights! What sweets in morning tide
  47. For thee be stored! Yet wanes the day:
  48. Prithee, come forth fresh Bride!
  49. Your lighted links, 0 boys, wave high:
  50. I see the flamey veil draw nigh:
  51. Hie, sing in merry mode and cry
  52. "0 Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  53. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus!"
  54. Lest longer mute tongue stays that joys
  55. In festal jest, from Fescennine,
  56. Nor yet denay their nuts to boys,
  57. He-Concubine! who learns in fine
  58. His lordling's love is fled.
  59. Throw nuts to boys thou idle all
  60. He-Concubine! wast fain full long
  61. With nuts to play: now pleased as thrall
  62. Be thou to swell Talasios' throng:
  63. He-Concubine throw nuts.
  64. Wont thou at peasant-girls to jape
  65. He-whore! Thy Lord's delight the while:
  66. Now shall hair-curling chattel scrape
  67. Thy cheeks: poor wretch, ah! poor and vile:—
  68. He-Concubine, throw nuts.
  69. 'Tis said from smooth-faced ingle train
  70. (Anointed bridegroom!) hardly fain
  71. Hast e'er refrained; now do refrain!
  72. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  73. O Hymen Hymenaeus!
  74. We know that naught save licit rites
  75. Be known to thee, but wedded wights
  76. No more deem lawful such delights.
  77. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  78. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  79. Thou too, 0 Bride, whatever dare
  80. Thy groom, of coy rebuff beware,
  81. Lest he to find elsewhither fare.
  82. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  83. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  84. Lo! here the house of high degree
  85. Thy husband's puissant home to be,
  86. Which ever shall obey thy gree.
  87. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  88. O Hymen Hymenaeus!
  89. Till Time betide when eld the hoar
  90. Thy head and temples trembling o'er
  91. Make nod to all things evermore.
  92. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  93. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  94. O'erstep with omen meetest meet
  95. The threshold-stone thy golden feet
  96. Up, past the polisht panels fleet.
  97. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  98. O Hymen Hymerneus.
  99. Within bestrewn thy bridegroom see
  100. On couch of Tyrian cramoisy
  101. All imminent awaiting thee.
  102. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  103. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  104. For in his breast not less than thine
  105. Burn high the flames that deepest shrine,
  106. Yet his the lowe far deeper lien.
  107. O Hymen Hymemeus io,
  108. O Hymen Hymenaeus.
  109. Let fall the maid's soft arms, thou fair
  110. Boy purple-hem'd: now be thy care
  111. Her bridegroom's couch she seek and share.
  112. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  113. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  114. Ye wives time-tried to husbands wed,
  115. Well-known for chastity inbred,
  116. Dispose the virginette a-bed.
  117. O Hymen Hymenaeus io,
  118. 0 Hymen Hymenaeus.
  119. Groom, now 'tis meet thou hither pace,
  120. With bride in genial bed to blend,
  121. For sheenly shines her flowery face
  122. Where the white chamomiles contend
  123. With poppies blushing red.
  124. Yet bridegroom (So may Godhead deign
  125. Help me!) nowise in humbler way
  126. Art fair, nor Venus shall disdain
  127. Thy charms, but look! how wanes the day:
  128. Forward, nor loiter more!
  129. No longer loitering makest thou,
  130. Now comest thou. May Venus good
  131. Aid thee when frankly takest thou
  132. Thy wishes won, nor true Love woo'd
  133. Thou carest to conceal.
  134. Of Afric's wolds and wilds each grain,
  135. Or constellations glistening,
  136. First reckon he that of the twain
  137. To count alone were fain to bring
  138. The many thousand joys.
  139. Play as ye please: soon prove ye deft
  140. At babying babes,—'twere ill design'd
  141. A name thus ancient should be left
  142. Heirless, but issue like of kind
  143. Engendered aye should be.
  144. A wee Torquaitus fain I'd see
  145. Encradled on his mother's breast
  146. Put forth his tender puds while he
  147. Smiles to his sire with sweetest gest
  148. And liplets half apart.
  149. Let son like father's semblance show
  150. (Manlius!) so with easy guess
  151. All know him where his sire they know,
  152. And still his face and form express
  153. His mother's honest love.
  154. Approve shall fair approof his birth
  155. From mother's seed-stock generous,
  156. As rarest fame of mother's worth
  157. Unique exalts Telemachus
  158. Penelope's own son.