THE GIRL Forgive me, Artemis; I break thy vow! DAPHNIS I'll slay a calf to Love, the cow to Cypris. THE GIRL A maid I hither came, a woman go. DAPHNIS Yea, but a mother and a nurse of children. So these twain, joying in their youthful limbs, From the Carmina of Catullus TRANSLATED BY SIR RICHARD F. BURTON, 1894 TO FLAVIUS: MIS-SPEAKING HIS MISTRESS THY Charmer (Flavius!) to Catullus' ear But some enfevered jade, I wot-not-what, Some piece thou lovest, blushing this to own. With flow'r-wreaths fragrant and with Syrian oil, Explain! none whoredoms (no!) shall close my lips. TO THE FREQUENTERS OF A LOW TAVERN Salacious Tavern and ye taverner-host, D'ye claim alone what damsels be the best Ay, think so, natheless all your tavern-front DIALOGUE CONCERNING CATULLUS QUINTUS O To the gentle spouse right dear, right dear to his parent, Hail, and with increase fair Jupiter lend thee his aid, Door, 'tis said wast fain kind service render to Balbus Erst while, long as the house by her old owner was held; Yet wast rumoured again to serve a purpose malignant, After the elder was stretched, thou being oped for a bride. Come, then, tell us the why in thee such change be reported That to thy lord hast abjured faithfulness owed of old? DOOR Never (so chance I to please Caelius owning me now-adays!) Is it my own default, how so they say it be mine; Nor can any declare aught sin by me was committed. Yet it is so declared (Quintus!) by fable of folk; Who, whenever they find things done no better than should be, Come to me outcrying all: "Door, the default is thine own!" QUINTUS This be never enough for thee one-worded to utter, But in such way to deal, each and all sense it and see. DOOR What shall I do? None asks, while nobody troubles to know. QUINTUS Willing are we? unto us stay not thy saying to say. DOOR First let me note that the maid to us committed (assert they) Was but a fraud: her mate never a touch of her had, But that a father durst dishonour the bed of his first-born, Folk all swear, and the house hapless with incest bewray; Or that his impious mind was blunt with fiery passion Or that his impotent son sprang from incapable seed. And to be sought was one with more nervous endowed, Who could better avail zone of the virgin to loose. QUINTUS 'Sooth, of egregious sire for piety wondrous, thou tellest, Yet professed herself not only this to be knowing, Traversed by Mella-stream's soft-flowing yellow-hued current, DOOR Eke of Posthumius' loves and Cornelius too there be tattle, With whom dared the dame evil advowtry commit. QUINTUS Here might somebody ask: "How, Door, hast mastered such matter? Thou that canst never avail threshold of owner to quit, Neither canst listen to folk since here fast fixt to the side-posts Only one office thou hast, shutting or opening the house." DOOR Oft have I heard our dame in furtive murmurs o'er telling, When with her handmaids alone, these her flagitious deeds, Citing fore-cited names for that she never could fancy Ever a door was endow'd either with earlet or tongue. Further she noted a wight whose name in public to mention Nill I, lest he upraise eyebrows of carrotty hue; Long is the loon and large the law-suit brought they against him Touching a child-bed, false, claim of a belly that lied. To Lesbia from Catullus. TRANSLATED BY George lamb, 1821 Love, my Lesbia, while we live; Value all the cross advice That the surly greybeards give Suns that set again may rise; We, when once our fleeting light, Give me kisses thousand-fold, To Lesbia FROM CATULLUS. TRANSLATED BY GEORGE LAMB, 1821 THY kisses dost thou bid me count, Many as grains of Libyan sand From prescient Ammon's sultry dome Nor evil voice's deadly charm Can work the unknown number harm. The Interview with Varus FROM CATULLUS. TRANSLATED BY GEORGE LAMB, 1821 Just by the Forum t'other day, My Varus took me thence To see the wanton, hid delight; And, faith! she struck me at first sight We then fell into conversation The value of the land, And what my profit there had been: "Of course," she said, "as they relate I felt a little pride arise; So cried, "Oh, yes. Though luck was bad, That I eight slaves should lack." Said she, a harlot thorough-bred! I wish but to be taken To where Serapis holds his fame"- ""Tis Cinna's bed, scarce his alone, To Mamurra's Mistress FROM CATULLUS. TRANSLATED BY GEORGE LAMB, 1821 THOUGH splaw thy feet, and snub thy nose, Thy fingers short, and unlike sloes Thine eyes in hue may be; Thy lip with driv'lling moisture dew'd, Thy language vulgar, manners rude, Yet wanton, hail to thee! And does the province praise thy grace; |