Carmina
Catullus
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus. Burton, Sir Richard Francis, translator. London, Printed for the Translators, 1894.
- Pine-trees gendered whilome upon soaring Peliac summit
- Swam (as the tale is told) through liquid surges of Neptune
- Far as the Phasis-flood and frontier-land Aeetean;
- Whenas the youths elect, of Argive vigour the oak-heart,
- Longing the Golden Fleece of the Colchis-region to harry,
- Dared in a poop swift-paced to span salt seas and their shallows,
- Sweeping the deep blue seas with sweeps a-carven of fir-wood.
- She, that governing Goddess of citadels crowning the cities,
- Builded herself their car fast-flitting with lightest of breezes,
- Weaving plants of the pine conjoined in curve of the kelson;
- Foremost of all to imbue rude Amphitrite with ship-lore.
- Soon as her beak had burst through wind-rackt spaces of ocean,
- While the oar-tortured wave with spumy whiteness was blanching,
- Surged from the deep abyss and hoar-capped billows the faces
- Seaborn, Nereids eyeing the prodigy wonder-smitten.
- There too mortal orbs through softened spendours regarded
- Ocean-nymphs who exposed bodies denuded of raiment
- Bare to the breast upthrust from hoar froth capping the sea-depths.
- Then Thetis Peleus fired (men say) a-sudden with love,
- Then Thetis nowise spurned to mate and marry with mortal,