Carmina

Catullus

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

  1. Gellius is lean: Why not? For him so easy a mother
  2. Lives, and a sister so boon, bonny and buxom to boot,
  3. Uncle so kindly good and all things full of his lady-
  4. Cousins, how can he cease leanest of lankies to be?
  5. Albeit, touch he naught save that whose touch is a scandal,
  6. Soon shall thou find wherefor he be as lean as thou like.
  1. Born be a Magus, got by Gellius out of his mother
  2. (Marriage nefand!) who shall Persian augury learn.
  3. Needs it a Magus begot of son upon mother who bare him,
  4. If that impious faith, Persian religion be fact,
  5. So may their issue adore busy gods with recognised verses
  6. Melting in altar-flame fatness contained by the caul.
  1. Not for due cause I hoped to find thee (Gellius!) faithful
  2. In this saddest our love, love that is lost and forlore,
  3. Or fro' my wotting thee well or ever believing thee constant,
  4. Or that thy mind could reject villany ever so vile,
  5. But that because was she to thyself nor mother nor sister,
  6. This same damsel whose Love me in its greatness devoured.
  7. Yet though I had been joined wi' thee by amplest of usance,
  8. Still could I never believe this was sufficient of cause.
  9. Thou diddest deem it suffice: so great is thy pleasure in every
  10. Crime wherein may be found somewhat enormous of guilt.
  1. Lesbia naggeth at me evermore and ne'er is she silent
  2. Touching myself: May I die but that by Lesbia I'm loved.
  3. What be the proof? I rail and retort like her and revile her
  4. Carefully, yet may I die but that I love her with love.