Carmina
Catullus
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus. Burton, Sir Richard Francis, translator. London, Printed for the Translators, 1894.
- Looked upon hundreds of bulls felled prone on pavement before him.
- Full oft Liber who roamed from topmost peak of Parnassus
- Hunted his howling host, his Thyiads with tresses dishevelled.
- Then with contending troops from all their city outflocking
- Gladly the Delphians hailed their God with smoking of altars.
- Often in death-full war and bravest of battle, or Mavors
- Or rapid Triton's Queen or eke the Virgin Rhamnusian,
- Bevies of weaponed men exhorting, proved their presence.
- But from the time when earth was stained with unspeakable scandals
- And forth fro' greeding breasts of all men justice departed,
- Then did the brother drench his hands in brotherly bloodshed,
- Stinted the son in heart to mourn decease of his parents,
- Longèd the sire to sight his first-born's funeral convoy
- So more freely the flower of step-dame-maiden to rifle;
- After that impious Queen her guiltless son underlying,
- Impious, the household gods with crime ne'er dreading to sully—
- All things fair and nefand being mixt in fury of evil
- Turned from ourselves avert the great goodwill of the Godheads.
- Wherefor they nowise deign our human assemblies to visit,
- Nor do they suffer themselves be met in light of the day-tide.