The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus Part 29

TO VICTIUS THE STINKARD.

Rightly of thee may be said, an of any, (thou stinkingest Victius!) Whatso wont we to say touching the praters and prigs.

Thou wi' that tongue o' thine own, if granted occasion availest Brogues of the cowherds to kiss, also their ---- Wouldst thou undo us all with a thorough undoing (O Victius!) 5 Open thy gape:--thereby all shall be wholly undone.

To thee, if to anyone, may I say, foul-mouthed Victius, that which is said to wind bags and fatuities. For with that tongue, if need arrive, thou couldst lick clodhoppers' shoes, clogs, and b.u.t.tocks. If thou wishest to destroy us all entirely, Victius, thou need'st but gape: thou wilt accomplish what thou wishest entirely.

Lx.x.xXVIIII.

Surripui tibi, dum ludis, mellite Iuventi, Suaviolum dulci dulcius ambrosia.

Verum id non inpune tuli: namque amplius horam Suffixum in summa me memini esse cruce, Dum tibi me purgo nec possum fletibus ullis 5 Tantillum vostrae demere saevitiae.

Nam simul id factumst, multis diluta labella Abstersti guttis omnibus articulis, Ne quicquam nostro contractum ex ore maneret, Tamquam conmictae spurca saliva lupae. 10 Praeterea infesto miserum me tradere Amori Non cessasti omnique excruciare modo, Vt mi ex ambrosia mutatum iam foret illud Suaviolum tristi tristius h.e.l.leboro.

Quam quoniam poenam misero proponis amori, 15 Numquam iam posthac basia surripiam.

Lx.x.xXVIIII.

TO JUVENTIUS.

E'en as thou played'st, from thee s.n.a.t.c.hed I (O honied Juventius!) Kisslet of savour so sweet sweetest Ambrosia unknows.

Yet was the theft nowise scot-free, for more than an hour I Clearly remember me fixt hanging from crest of the Cross, Whatwhile I purged my sin unto thee nor with any weeping 5 t.i.ttle of cruel despite such as be thine could I 'bate.

For that no sooner done thou washed thy liplets with many Drops which thy fingers did wipe, using their every joint, Lest of our mouths conjoined remain there aught by the contact Like unto slaver foul shed by the b.u.t.tered bun. 10 Further, wretchedmost me betrayed to unfriendliest Love-G.o.d Never thou ceased'st to pain hurting with every harm, So that my taste be turned and kisses ambrosial erstwhile Even than h.e.l.lebore-juice bitterest bitterer grow.

Seeing such pangs as these prepared for unfortunate lover, 15 After this never again kiss will I venture to s.n.a.t.c.h.

I s.n.a.t.c.hed from thee, whilst thou wast sporting, O honied Juventius, a kiss sweeter than sweet ambrosia. But I bore it off not unpunished; for more than an hour do I remember myself hung on the summit of the cross, whilst I purged myself [for my crime] to thee, nor could any tears in the least remove your anger. For instantly it was done, thou didst bathe thy lips with many drops, and didst cleanse them with every finger-joint, lest anything remained from the conjoining of our mouths, as though it were the obscene slaver of a fetid fricatrice. Nay, more, thou hast handed wretched me over to despiteful Love, nor hast thou ceased to agonize me in every way, so that for me that kiss is now changed from ambrosia to be harsher than harsh h.e.l.lebore. Since thou dost award such punishment to wretched amourist, never more after this will I steal kisses.

C.

Caelius Aufilenum et Quintius Aufilenam Flos Veronensum depereunt iuvenum, Hic fratrem, ille sororem. hoc est, quod dicitur, illud Fraternum vere dulce sodalitium.

Cui faveam potius? Caeli, tibi: nam tua n.o.bis 5 Per facta exhibitast unica amicitia, c.u.m vesana meas torreret flamma medullas.

Sis felix, Caeli, sis in amore potens.

C.

ON CaeLIUS AND QUINTIUS.

Caelius Aufilenus and Quintius Aufilena, Love to the death, both swains bloom of the youth Veronese, This woo'd brother and that sue'd sister: so might the matter Claim to be t.i.tled wi' sooth fairest fraternalest tie.

Whom shall I favour the first? Thee (Caelius!) for thou hast proved 5 Singular friends.h.i.+p to us shown by the deeds it has done, Whenas the flames insane had madded me, firing my marrow: Caelius! happy be thou; ever be l.u.s.ty in love.

Caelius, Aufilenus; and Quintius, Aufilena;--flower of the Veronese youth,--love desperately: this, the brother; that, the sister. This is, as one would say, true brotherhood and sweet friends.h.i.+p. To whom shall I incline the more? Caelius, to thee; for thy single devotion to us was shewn by its deeds, when the raging flame scorched my marrow. Be happy, O Caelius, be potent in love.

CI.

Multas per gentes et multa per aequora vectus Advenio has miseras, frater, ad inferias, Vt te postremo donarem munere mortis Et mutam nequiquam adloquerer cinerem, Quandoquidem fortuna mihi tete abstulit ipsum, 5 Heu miser indigne frater adempte mihi.

Nunc tamen interea haec prisco quae more parentum Tradita sunt tristes munera ad inferias, Accipe fraterno multum manantia fletu, Atque in perpetuom, frater, ave atque vale. 10

CI.

ON THE BURIAL OF HIS BROTHER.

Faring thro' many a folk and plowing many a sea-plain These sad funeral-rites (Brother!) to deal thee I come, So wi' the latest boons to the dead bestowed I may gift thee, And I may vainly address ashes that answer have none, Sithence of thee, very thee, to deprive me Fortune behested, 5 Woe for thee, Brother forlore! Cruelly severed fro' me.

Yet in the meanwhile now what olden usage of forbears Brings as the boons that befit mournfullest funeral rites, Thine be these gifts which flow with tear-flood shed by thy brother, And, for ever and aye (Brother!) all hail and farewell. 10

Through many a folk and through many waters borne, I am come, brother, to thy sad grave, that I may give the last gifts to the dead, and may vainly speak to thy mute ashes, since fortune hath borne from me thyself. Ah, hapless brother, heavily s.n.a.t.c.hed from me. * * * But now these gifts, which of yore, in manner ancestral handed down, are the sad gifts to the grave, accept thou, drenched with a brother's tears, and for ever, brother, hail!

for ever, adieu!

CII.

Si quicquam tacito conmissumst fido ab amico, Cuius sit penitus nota fides animi, Meque esse invenies illorum iure sacratum, Corneli, et factum me esse puta Harpocratem.

CII.

TO CORNELIUS.

If by confiding friend aught e'er be trusted in silence, Unto a man whose mind known is for worthiest trust, Me shalt thou find no less than such to secrecy oathbound, (Cornelius!) and now hold me an Harpocrates.

If aught be committed to secret faith from a friend to one whose inner faith of soul is known, thou wilt find me to be of that sacred faith, O Cornelius, and may'st deem me become an Harpocrates.

CIII.

Aut, sodes, mihi redde decem sestertia, Silo, Deinde esto quamvis saevus et indomitus: Aut, si te nummi delectant, desine quaeso Leno esse atque idem saevus et indomitus.

CIII.

TO SILO.

Or, d'ye hear, refund those ten sestertia (Silo!) Then be thou e'en at thy will surly and savage o' mood: Or, an thou love o'er-well those moneys, prithee no longer Prove thee a pimp and withal surly and savage o' mood.

Prithee, either return me my ten thousand sesterces, Silo; then be to thy content surly and boorish: or, if the money allure thee, desist I pray thee from being a pander and likewise surly and boorish.

CIIII.

Credis me potuisse meae maledicere vitae, Ambobus mihi quae carior est oculis?

Non potui, nec si possem tam perdite amarem: Sed tu c.u.m Tappone omnia monstra facis.

CIIII.

CONCERNING LESBIA.

Canst thou credit that I could avail to revile my life-love, She who be dearer to me even than either my eyes?

Ne'er could I, nor an I could, should I so losingly love her: But with Tappo thou dost design every monstrous deed.

Dost deem me capable of speaking ill of my life, she who is dearer to me than are both mine eyes? I could not, nor if I could, would my love be so desperate: but thou with Tappo dost frame everything heinous.

CV.

Mentula conatur Pipleum scandere montem: Musae furcillis praecipitem eiciunt.

CV.