Gaius Valerius Catullus

“ O poor soul, brother, O heavily ta'en,
You all happier hours, you, dying brother, effaced;
All our house lies low mournfully buried in you;
Quench'd untimely with you joy waits not ever a morrow,
Joy which alive your love's bounty fed hour upon hour;
25 Now, since thou liest dead, heart-banish'd wholly desert me
Vanities all, each gay freak of a riotous heart.
How then obey? You write 'Let not Verona, Catullus,
Stay thee, if here each proud quality, Rome's eminence,
Freely the light limbs warms thou leavest coldly to languish,'
30 Infamy lies not there, Mallius, only regret. ”

“ Yieldeth her any to bear loathed adultery's yoke,
85 Vile her gifts, and lightly the dust shall drink them unheeding.
Not of vile I seek gifts, nor of infamous, I.
Rather, O unstain'd brides, may concord tarry for ever
With ye at home, may love with ye for ever abide.
Thou, fair queen, to the stars if looking haply, to Venus
90 Lights thou kindle on eves festal of high sacrifice,
Leave me the lock, thine own, nor blood nor bounty requiring.
Rather a largesse fair pay to me, envy me not.
Stars dash blindly in one! ”

“ Then as o'er the waste of ocean with a rainy eye he gazed
To the land of home he murmur'd miserable a soliloquy.
50 "Mother-home of all affection, dear home, my nativity,
Whom in anguish I deserting, as in hatred a runaway
From a master, hither have hurried to the lonely woods of Ide,
To be with the snows, the wild beasts, in a wintery domicile,
To be near each savage houser that a surly fury provokes,
55 What horizon, O beloved, may attain to thee anywhere?
Yet an eyeless orb is yearning ineffectually to thee. ”

“ Whither flee then afar? what hope, poor lost one, upholds thee?
Mountains Idomenean? alas, broad surges of ocean
Part us, a rough rude space of flowing water, asunder.
180 Trust in a father's help? how trust, whom darkly deserting,
Him I turned to alone, my brother's bloody defier?
Nay, but a loyal lover, a hand pledg'd surely, shall ease me.
Surely; for o'er wide water his oars move flexibly fleeting. ”

“ Make thee as iron a soul, thyself draw back from affliction.
Yea, tho' a God say nay, be not unhappy for aye.
What? it is hard long love so lightly to leave in a moment?
Hard; yet abides this one duty, to do it: obey.
15 Here lies safety alone, one victory must not fail thee.
One last stake to be lost haply, perhaps to be won.
O great Gods immortal, if you can pity or ever
Lighted above dark death's shadow, a help to the lost;
Ah! look, a wretch, on me; if white and blameless in all I
20 Liv'd, then take this long canker of anguish away. ”

“ Deal not a joy myself know not, a beggar in all.
Books—if they're but scanty, a store full meagre, around me,
Rome is alone my life's centre, a mansion of home,
35 Rome my abode, house, hearth; there wanes and waxes a life's span;
Hither of all those choice cases attends me but one.
Therefore deem not thou aught spiteful bids me deny thee;
[Pg 82] Say not 'his heart is false, haply, to jealousy leans,'
If nor books I send nor flatter sorrow to silence.
40 Trust me, were either mine, either unask'd should appear. ”

“ Spirit had I erewhile known thee, a fiery child.
Pass'd that deed forgotten, a royal wooer had earn'd thee?
Deed that braver none ventureth ever again?
Yet what sorrow to lose thy lord, what murmur of anguish!
30 Jove, how rain'd those tears brush'd from a passionate eye!
Who is this could wean thee, a God so mighty, to falter?
May not a lover live from the beloved afar?
Then for a spouse so goodly, before each spirit of heaven,
Me thou vowd'st, with slain oxen, a vast hecatomb,
35 Home if again he alighted. Awhile and Asia crouching
Humbly to Egypt's realm added a boundary new ”

“ Lesbia, thou didst swear thou knewest only Catullus,
Cared'st not, if him thine arms chained, a Jove to retain.
[Pg 89] Then not alone I loved thee, as each light lover a mistress,
Lov'd as a father his own sons, or an heir to the name.
5 Now I know thee aright; so, if more hotly desiring,
Yet must count thee a soul cheaper, a frailty to scorn.
'Friend,' thou say'st, 'you cannot.' Alas! such injury leaveth
Blindly to doat poor love's folly, malignly to will.
LXXIII.
Never again think any to work aught kindly soever,
Dream that in any abides honour, of injury free. ”

“ Wert thou blameless in all, I may not longer approve thee,
Do anything thou wilt, cannot an enemy be.
LXXVI.
If to a man bring joy past service dearly remember'd,
When to the soul her thought speaks, to be blameless of ill;
Faith not rudely profan'd, nor in oath or charter abused
Heaven, a God's mis-sworn sanctity, deadly to men.
[Pg 93] 5 Then doth a life-long pleasure await thee surely, Catullus,
Pleasure of all this love's traitorous injury born.
Whatso a man may speak, whom charity leads to another,
Whatso enact, by me spoken or acted is all. ”

“ In my township a citizen lives: Catullus adjures thee
Headlong into the mire below topsy-turvy to drown him.
10 Only, where the superfluent lake, the spongy putrescence,
Sinks most murkily flushed, descends most profoundly the bottom.
Such a ninny, a fool is he; witless even as any
Two years' urchin, across papa's elbow drowsily swaying.
2.
For though wed to a maiden in spring-tide youthfully budding,
15 Maiden crisp as a petulant kid, as airily wanton,
Sweets more privy to guard than e'er grape-bunch shadowy-purpling;
He, he leaves her alone to romp idly, cares not a fouter. ”

“ So with a ship fast-fleeted, a gale blown gently behind him,
85 Push'd he his onward journey to Minos' haughty dominion.
Him for very delight when a virgin fondly desiring
Gazed on, a royal virgin, in odours silkily nestled,
Pure from a maiden's couch, from a mother's pillowy bosom,
Like some myrtle, anear Eurotas' water arising,
90 Like earth's myriad hues, spring's progeny, rais'd to the breezes;
Droop'd not her eyes their gaze unquenchable, ever-burning
Save when in each charm'd limb to the depths enfolded, a sudden
Flame blazed hotly within her, in all her marrow abiding. ”

“ VIRGINS.
20 Hesper, moveth in heaven a light more tyrannous ever?
Thou from a mother's arms canst wrest her daughter asunder,
Wrest from a mother's arms her daughter woefully clinging,
Then to the burning youth his virgin beauty deliver.
Foes in a new-sack'd town, when wrought they crueller ever?
25 Hymen O Hymenaeus, O Hymen come Hymenaeus.
YOUTHS.
Hesper, shineth in heaven a light more genial ever? ”

“ Face to face who toward thee attently sitting
Gazes or hears thee
5 Lovely in sweet laughter; alas within me
Every lost sense falleth away for anguish;
When as I look'd on thee, upon my lips no
Whisper abideth,
Straight my tongue froze, Lesbia; soon a subtle
10 Fire thro' each limb streameth adown; with inward
Sound the full ears tinkle, on either eye night's
Canopy darkens.
Ease alone, Catullus, alone afflicts thee;
[Pg 34] Ease alone breeds error of heady riot;
15 Ease hath entomb'd princes of old renown and
Cities of honour.
LII.
Enough, Catullus! ”

“ Borne o'er many a land, o'er many a level of ocean,
Here to the grave I come, brother, of holy repose,
Sadly the last poor gifts, death's simple duty, to bring thee;
Unto the silent dust vainly to murmur a cry.
5 Since thy form deep-shrouded an evil destiny taketh
From me, O hapless ghost, brother, O heavily ta'en,
[Pg 99] Yet this bounty the while, these gifts ancestral of usance
Homely, the sad slight store piety grants to the tomb ”

“ O then, clasp thy love, nor fight, fair maiden, against him.
(60) Sin 'twere surely to fight; thy father gave to his arms thee,
70 Father's self and mother; obey nor wrongly defy them.
. . . . . . . . . .
Virgin's crown thou claim'st not alone, but partly the parents,
Father's one whole part, one goes to the mother allotted,
Rests one only to thee; O fight not with them alone thou,
75 (65) Both to a son their rights and both their dowry deliver. ”

“ Shall manly service none but you alone employ,
Shall you alone whatever in the world smiles fair,
5 Possess it, every other hold to lack esteem?
Or if in idiot impotence arow you sit,
One hundred, yes two hundred, am not I, think you,
A man to bring mine action on your whole row there?
So think not, he that likes not; answer how you may,
10 With scorpion I, with emblem all your haunt will scrawl.
2.
For she the bright one, lately fled beyond these arms,
The maid belov'd as maiden is belov'd no more,
Whom I to win, stood often in the breach, fought long,
Has sat amongst you. ”

“ You shall a son see born that knows not terror, Achilles,
One whose back no foe, whose front each knoweth in onset;
340 Often a conqueror, he, where feet course swiftly together,
Steps of a fire-fleet doe shall leave in his hurry behind him.
Trail ye a long-drawn thread and run with destiny, spindles.
Him to resist in war, no champion hero ariseth,
Then on Phrygian earth when carnage Trojan is utter'd;
345 Then when a long sad strife shall Troy's crown'd city beleaguer,
Waste her a third false heir from Pelops wary descending. ”

“ E'en so many the kisses I to kiss thee
10 Count, wild lover, enough to charm, to tire me;
These no curious eye can wholly number,
Tongue of jealousy ne'er bewitch nor harm them.
[Pg 6]
VIII.
Ah poor Catullus, learn to play the fool no more.
Lost is the lost, thou know'st it, and the past is past.
Bright once the days and sunny shone the light on thee,
Still ever hasting where she led, the maid so fair,
5 By me belov'd as maiden is belov'd no more. ”

“ Worthy in all or part thee, Laodamia, to rival,
Sought me my own sweet love, journey'd awhile to my arms.
135 Round her playing oft ran Cupid thither or hither,
Lustrous, array'd in bright broidery, saffron of hue.
(135) What, to Catullus alone if a wayward fancy resort not?
Must I pale for a stray frailty, the shame of an hour?
Nay; lest all too much such jealous folly provoke her.
140 Juno's self, a supreme glory celestial, oft
Crushes her eager rage, in wedlock-injury flaring,
(140) Knowing yet right well Jove, what a losel is he. ”

“ Though, outworn with sorrow, with hours of torturous anguish,
Ortalus, I no more tarry the Muses among;
Though from a fancy deprest fair blooms of poesy budding
Rise not at all; such grief rocks me, uneasily stirr'd:
5 Coldly but even now mine own dear brother in ebbing
Lethe his ice-wan feet laveth, a shadowy ghost.
He whom Troy's deep bosom, a shore Rhoetean above him,
Rudely denies these eyes, heavily crushes in earth.
Ah! no more to address thee, or hear thy kindly replying,
10 Brother! ”

“ When from a virgin's arms spoils he had happily won.
15 Stands it an edict true that brides hate Venus? or ever
Falsely the parents' joy dashes a showery tear,
When to the nuptial door they come in rainy beteeming?
Now to the Gods I swear, tears be hypocrisy then.
So mine own queen taught me in all her weary lamentings,
20 Whiles her bridegroom bold set to the battle a face.
What? for an husband lost thou weptst not gloomily lying?
Rather a brother dear, forced for a while to depart?
This, when love's sharp grief was gnawing inly to waste thee! ”

“ Poorly to win love's fresh favour of amorous you,
Only the lack-love signor, a wretch from sickly Pisaurum,
Guest of your hearth, no gilt statue as ashy as he?
5 Now your very delight, whose faithless fancy Catullus
Banisheth, Ah light-reck'd lightness, apostasy vile!
LXXXII.
Wouldst thou, Quintius, have me a debtor ready to owe thee
Eyes, or if earth have joy goodlier any than eyes?
One thing take not from me, to me more goodly than even
Eyes, or if earth have joy goodlier any than eyes.
[Pg 91]
LXXXIII.
Lesbia while her lord stands near, rails ever upon me. ”

“ Soon as on home's fair hills thine eyes shall signal a welcome,
See that on each straight yard down droop their funeral housings,
235 Whitely the tight-strung cordage a sparkling canvas aloft swing,
Which to behold straightway with joy shall cheer me, with inward
Joy, when a prosperous hour shall bring to thee happy returning.
So for a while that charge did Theseus faithfully cherish. ”

“ Taborine behind him, Attis, thoro' leafy glooms a guide,
As a restive heifer yields not to the cumbrous onerous yoke.
Thither his the votaress eunuchs with an emulous alacrity.
35 Now faintly sickly plodding to the goddess's holy shrine,
They took the rest which easeth long toil, nor ate withal.
Slow sleep descends on eyelids ready drowsily to decline,
In a soft repose departeth the devout spirit-agony. ”

“ Aufilena; but you—blindly to grasp at a gain,
Yet to withhold the effects,—'tis a greed more loathly than harlot's
Vileness, a wretch whose limbs ply to the lusts of a town.
CXI.
One lord only to love, one, Aufilena, to live for,
Praise can a bride nowhere goodlier any betide;
Yet, when a niece with an uncle is even mother or even
Cousin—of all paramours this were as heinous as all.
[Pg 102]
CXII.
Naso, if you show much, your company shows but a very
Little; a man you show, Naso, a woman in one. ”

“ If to delight man's wish, joy e'er unlook'd for, unhop'd for,
Falleth, a joy were such proper, a bliss to the soul.
Then 'tis a joy to the soul, like gold of Lydia precious,
Lesbia mine, that thou com'st to delight me again.
5 Com'st yet again long-hop'd, long-look'd for vainly, returnest
Freely to me. O day white with a luckier hue!
Lives there happier any than I, I only? a fairer
Destiny? Life so sweet know ye, or aught parallel?
CVIII.
Loathly Cominius, if e'er this people's voice should arraign thee,
Hoary with all unclean infamy, worthy to die ”