Carmina

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 2,080 sections

1.1
Now smooth’d to polish due with pumice dry
1.2
Whereto this lively booklet now give I?
1.3
To thee (Cornelius!); for wast ever fain
1.4
To deem my trifles somewhat boon contain;
1.5
E’en when thou single ’mongst Italians found
1.6
Daredst all periods in three Scripts expound
1.7
Learned (by Jupiter!) elaborately.
1.8
Then take thee whatso in this booklet be,
1.9
Such as it is, whereto O Patron Maid
1.10
To live down Ages lend thou lasting aid!
2.1
Sparrow! my pet’s delicious joy,
2.2
Wherewith in bosom nurst to toy
2.3
She loves, and gives her finger-tip
2.4
For sharp-nib’d greedingneb to nip,
2.5
Were she who my desire withstood
2.6
To seek some pet of merry mood,
2.7
As crumb o’ comfort for her grief,
2.8
Methinks her burning lowe’s relief:
2.9
Could I, as plays she, play with thee,
2.10
That mind might win from misery free!
2.11
To me t’were grateful (as they say),
2.12
Gold codling was to fleet-foot May,
2.13
Whose long-bound zone it loosed for aye.
3.1
Weep every Venus, and all Cupids wail,
3.2
And men whose gentler spirits still prevail.
3.3
Dead is the Sparrow of my girl, the joy,
3.4
Sparrow, my sweeting’s most delicious toy,
3.5
Whom loved she dearer than her very eyes;
3.6
For he was honeyed-pet and anywise
3.7
Knew her, as even she her mother knew;
3.8
Ne’er from her bosom’s harbourage he flew
3.9
But ’round her hopping here, there, everywhere,
3.10
Piped he to none but her his lady fair.
3.11
Now must he wander o’er the darkling way
3.12
Thither, whence life-return the Fates denay.
3.13
But ah! beshrew you, evil Shadows low’ring
3.14
In Orcus ever loveliest things devouring:
3.15
Who bore so pretty a Sparrow fro’ her ta’en.
3.16
(Oh hapless birdie and Oh deed of bane!)
3.17
Now by your wanton work my girl appears
3.18
With turgid eyelids tinted rose by tears.
4.1
Yonder Pinnace ye (my guests!) behold
4.2
Saith she was erstwhile fleetest-fleet of crafts,
4.3
Nor could by swiftness of aught plank that swims,
4.4
Be she outstripped, whether paddle plied,
4.5
Or fared she scudding under canvas-sail.
4.6
Eke she defieth threat’ning Adrian shore,
4.7
Dare not denay her, insular Cyclades,
4.8
And noble Rhodos and ferocious Thrace,
4.9
Propontis too and blustering Pontic bight.
4.10
Where she (my Pinnace now) in times before,
4.11
Was leafy woodling on Cytórean Chine
4.12
For ever loquent lisping with her leaves.
4.13
Pontic Amastris! Box-tree-clad Cytórus!
4.14
Cognisant were ye, and you weet full well
4.15
(So saith my Pinnace) how from earliest age
4.16
Upon your highmost-spiring peak she stood,
4.17
How in your waters first her sculls were dipt,
4.18
And thence thro’ many and many an important strait
4.19
She bore her owner whether left or right,
4.20
Where breezes bade her fare, or Jupiter deigned
4.21
At once propitious strike the sail full square;
4.22
Nor to the sea-shore gods was aught of vow
4.23
By her deemed needful, when from Ocean’s bourne
4.24
Extreme she voyaged for this limpid lake.
4.25
Yet were such things whilome: now she retired
4.26
In quiet age devotes herself to thee
4.27
(O twin-born Castor) twain with Castor’s twin.
5.1
Love we (my Lesbia!) and live we our day,
5.2
While all stern sayings crabbed sages say,
5.3
At one doit’s value let us price and prize!
5.4
The Suns can westward sink again to rise
5.5
But we, extinguished once our tiny light,
5.6
Perforce shall slumber through one lasting night!
5.7
Kiss me a thousand times, then hundred more,
5.8
Then thousand others, then a new five-score,
5.9
Still other thousand other hundred store.
5.10
Last when the sums to many thousands grow,
5.11
The tale let’s trouble till no more we know,
5.12
Nor envious wight despiteful shall misween us
5.13
Knowing how many kisses have been kissed between us.
6.1
Thy Charmer (Flavius!) to Catullus’ ear
6.2
Were she not manner’d mean and worst in wit
6.3
Perforce thou hadst praised nor couldst silence keep.
6.4
But some enfevered jade, I wot-not-what,
6.5
Some piece thou lovest, blushing this to own.
6.6
For, nowise ’customed widower nights to lie
6.7
Thou ’rt ever summoned by no silent bed
6.8
With flow’r-wreaths fragrant and with Syrian oil,
6.9
By mattress, bolsters, here, there, everywhere
6.10
Deep-dinted, and by quaking, shaking couch
6.11
All crepitation and mobility.
6.12
Explain! none whoredoms (no!) shall close my lips.
6.13
Why? such outfuttered flank thou ne’er wouldst show
6.14
Had not some fulsome work by thee been wrought.
6.15
Then what thou holdest, boon or bane be pleased
6.16
Disclose!For thee and thy beloved fain would I
6.17
Upraise to Heaven with my liveliest lay.
7.1
Thou ask’st How many kissing bouts I bore
7.2
From thee (my Lesbia!) or be enough or more?

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0472.phi001.perseus-eng3. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source.