Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Pine-trees gendered whilome upon soaring Peliac summit
  2. Swam (as the tale is told) through liquid surges of Neptune
  3. Far as the Phasis-flood and frontier-land Aeetean;
  4. Whenas the youths elect, of Argive vigour the oak-heart,
  5. Longing the Golden Fleece of the Colchis-region to harry,
  6. Dared in a poop swift-paced to span salt seas and their shallows,
  7. Sweeping the deep blue seas with sweeps a-carven of fir-wood.
  8. She, that governing Goddess of citadels crowning the cities,
  9. Builded herself their car fast-flitting with lightest of breezes,
  10. Weaving plants of the pine conjoined in curve of the kelson;
  11. Foremost of all to imbue rude Amphitrite with ship-lore.
  12. Soon as her beak had burst through wind-rackt spaces of ocean,
  13. While the oar-tortured wave with spumy whiteness was blanching,
  14. Surged from the deep abyss and hoar-capped billows the faces
  15. Seaborn, Nereids eyeing the prodigy wonder-smitten.
  16. There too mortal orbs through softened spendours regarded
  17. Ocean-nymphs who exposed bodies denuded of raiment
  18. Bare to the breast upthrust from hoar froth capping the sea-depths.
  19. Then Thetis Peleus fired (men say) a-sudden with love,
  20. Then Thetis nowise spurned to mate and marry with mortal,