Carmina

Lest to him chance such befall, his uncle’s consort seduced he,

And of his uncle himself fashioned an Harpocrates.

What so he willed did he; and nowdays albe his uncle

he, no word ever that uncle shall speak.

Now is my mind to a pass, my Lesbia, brought by thy treason,

So in devotion to thee lost is the duty self due,

Nor can I will thee well if best of women thou prove thee,

Nor can I cease to love, do thou what doings thou wilt.

If to remember deeds whilòme well done be a pleasure

Meet for a man who deems all of his dealings be just,

Nor Holy Faith ever broke nor in whatever his compact

Sanction of Gods abused better to swindle mankind,

Much there remains for thee during length of living, Catullus,

Out of that Love ingrate further to solace thy soul;

For whatever of good can mortal declare of another

Or can avail he do, such thou hast said and hast done;

While to a thankless mind entrusted all of them perisht.

Why, then, crucify self now with a furthering pain?

Why not steady thy thoughts and draw thee back from such purpose,

Ceasing wretched to be maugrè the will of the Gods?

Difficult ’tis indeed long Love to depose of a sudden,

Difficult ’tis, yet do e’en as thou deem to be best.

This be thy safe-guard sole; this conquest needs to be conquered;

This thou must do, thus act, whether thou cannot or can.

If an ye have (O Gods!) aught ruth, or if you for any

Bring at the moment of death latest assistance to man,

Look upon me (poor me!) and, should I be cleanly of living,

Out of my life deign pluck this my so pestilent plague,

Which as a lethargy o’er mine inmost vitals a-creeping,

Hath from my bosom expelled all of what joyance it joyed,

Now will I crave no more she love me e’en as I love her,

Nor (impossible chance!) ever she prove herself chaste:

Would I were only healed and shed this fulsome disorder.

Oh Gods, grant me this boon unto my piety due!

Rufus, trusted as friend by me, so fruitlessly, vainly,

(Vainly? nay to my bane and at a ruinous price!)

Hast thou cajoled me thus, and enfiring innermost vitals,

Ravished the whole of our good own’d by wretchedest me?

Ravished; (alas and alas!) of our life thou cruellest cruel

Venom, (alas and alas!) plague of our friendship and pest.

Gallus hath brothers in pair, this owning most beautiful consort,

While unto that is given also a beautiful son.

Gallus is charming as man; for sweet loves ever conjoins he,

So that the charming lad sleep wi’ the charmer his lass.

Gallus is foolish wight, nor self regards he as husband,

When being uncle how nuncle to cuckold he show.

Yet must I now lament that lips so pure of the purest

Damsel, thy slaver foul soiled with filthiest kiss.

But ne’er hope to escape scot free; for thee shall all ages

Know, and what thing thou be, Fame, the old crone, shall declare.

Lesbius is beauty-man: why not? when Lesbia wills him

Better, Catullus, than thee backed by the whole of thy clan.

Yet may that beauty-man sell all his clan with Catullus,

An of three noted names greeting salute he can gain.

How shall I (Gellius!) tell what way lips rosy as thine are

Come to be bleached and blanched whiter than wintry snow,

When as thou quittest the house a-morn, and at two after noon-tide

Roused from quiet repose, wakest for length of the day?

Certès sure am I not an Rumour rightfully whisper

Could there never be found in folk so thronging (Juventius!)

Any one charming thee whom thou couldst fancy to love,

Save and except that host from deadliest site of Pisaurum,

Wight than a statue gilt wanner and yellower-hued,

Whom to thy heart thou takest and whom thou darest before us

Choose? But villain what deed doest thou little canst wot!

Quintius! an thou wish that Catullus should owe thee his eyes

Or aught further if aught dearer can be than his eyes,

Thou wilt not ravish from him what deems he dearer and nearer

E’en than his eyes if aught dearer there be than his eyes.

Lesbia heaps upon me foul words her mate being present;

Which to that simple soul causes the fullest delight.

Mule! naught sensest thou: did she forget us in silence,

Whole she had been; but now what so she rails and she snarls,

Not only dwells in her thought, but worse and even more risky,

Wrathful she bides. Which means, she is afire and she fumes.

Wontis Arrius say Chommodious whenas commodious

Means he, and Insidious aspirate Hinsidious,

What time flattering self he speaks with marvellous purity,

Clamouring Hinsidious loudly as ever he can.

Deem I thus did his dame and thus-wise Liber his uncle

Speak, and on spindle-side grandsire and grandmother too.

Restful reposed all ears when he was sent into Syria,

Hearing the self-same words softly and smoothly pronouncèd,

Nor any feared to hear such harshness uttered thereafter,

Whenas a sudden came message of horrible news,

Namely th’ lonian waves when Arrius thither had wended,

Were lonian no more—they had Hionian become.

Hate I, and love I. Haps thou’lt ask me wherefore I do so.

Wot I not, yet so I do feeling a torture of pain.

Quintia beautiful seems to the crowd; to me, fair, and tall,

Straight; and merits as these readily thus I confess,

But that she is beauteous all I deny, for nothing of lovesome,

Never a grain of salt, shows in her person so large.

Lesbia beautiful seems, and when all over she’s fairest,

Any Venus-gift stole she from every one.

Never a woman could call herself so fondly beloved

Truly as Lesbia mine has been beloved of myself.

Never were Truth and Faith so firm in any one compact

As on the part of me kept I my love to thyself.

What may he (Gellius!) do that ever for mother and sister