The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus Part 6

Furius, our villa not 'gainst the southern breeze is pitted nor the western wind nor cruel Boreas nor sunny east, but sesterces fifteen thousand two hundred oppose it. O horrible and baleful draught.

XXVII.

Minister vetuli puer Falerni Inger mi calices amariores, Vt lex Postumiae iubet magistrae, Ebriosa acina ebriosioris.

At vos quo lubet hinc abite, lymphae 5 Vini pernicies, et ad severos Migrate: hic merus est Thyonia.n.u.s.

XXVII.

TO HIS CUP-BOY.

Thou youngling drawer of Falernian old Crown me the goblets with a bitterer wine As was Postumia's law that rules the feast Than ebriate grape-stone more inebriate.

But ye fare whither please ye (water-nymphs!) 5 To wine pernicious, and to sober folk Migrate ye: mere Thyonian juice be here!

Boy cupbearer of old Falernian, pour me fiercer cups as bids the laws of Postumia, mistress of the feast, drunker than a drunken grape. But ye, hence, as far as ye please, crystal waters, bane of wine, hie ye to the sober: here the Thyonian juice is pure.

XXVIII.

Pisonis comites, cohors inanis Aptis sarcinulis et expeditis, Verani optime tuque mi Fabulle, Quid rerum geritis? satisne c.u.m isto Vappa frigoraque et famem tulistis? 5 Ecquidnam in tabulis patet lucelli Expensum, ut mihi, qui meum secutus Praetorem refero datum lucello 'O Memmi, bene me ac diu supinum Tota ista trabe lentus inrumasti.' 10 Sed, quantum video, pari fuistis Casu: nam nihilo minore verpa Farti estis. pete n.o.biles amicos.

At vobis mala multa di deaeque Dent, opprobria Romulei Remique. 15

XXVIII.

TO FRIENDS ON RETURN FROM TRAVEL.

Followers of Piso, empty band With your light budgets packt to hand, Veranius best! Fabullus mine!

What do ye? Bore ye enough, in fine Of frost and famine with yon sot? 5 What loss or gain have haply got Your tablets? so, whenas I ranged With Praetor, gains for loss were changed.

"O Memmius! thou did'st long and late ---- me supine slow and ----" 10 But (truly see I) in such case Diddled you were by wight as base Sans mercy. n.o.ble friends go claim!

Now G.o.d and G.o.ddess give you grame Disgrace of Romulus! Remus' shame! 15

Piso's Company, a starveling band, with lightweight knapsacks, scantly packed, most dear Veranius thou, and my Fabullus eke, how fortunes it with you? have ye borne frost and famine enow with that sot? Which in your tablets appear--the profits or expenses? So with me, who when I followed a praetor, inscribed more gifts than gains. "O Memmius, well and slowly didst thou irrumate me, supine, day by day, with the whole of that beam." But, from what I see, in like case ye have been; for ye have been crammed with no smaller a poker. Courting friends of high rank! But may the G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses heap ill upon ye, reproach to Romulus and Remus.

XXVIIII.

Quis hoc potest videre, quis potest pati, Nisi inpudicus et vorax et aleo, Mamurram habere quod Comata Gallia Habebat ante et ultima Britannia?

Cinaede Romule, haec videbis et feres? 5 _Es inpudicus et vorax et aleo._ 5b Et ille nunc superbus et superfluens Perambulabit omnium cubilia Vt albulus columbus aut Adoneus?

Cinaede Romule, haec videbis et feres?

Es inpudicus et vorax et aleo. 10 Eone nomine, imperator unice, Fuisti in ultima occidentis insula, Vt ista vostra defututa Mentula Ducenties comesset aut trecenties?

Quid est alid sinistra liberalitas? 15 Parum expatravit an parum eluatus est?

Paterna prima lancinata sunt bona: Secunda praeda Pontica: inde tertia Hibera, quam scit amnis aurifer Tagus.

Timentne Galliae hunc, timent Britanniae? 20 Quid hunc malum fovetis? aut quid hic potest, Nisi uncta devorare patrimonia?

Eone nomine urbis, o potissimei Socer generque, perdidistis omnia?

XXVIIII.

TO CaeSAR OF MAMURRA, CALLED MENTULA.

Who e'er could witness this (who could endure Except the lewdling, dicer, greedy-gut) That should Mamurra get what hairy Gaul And all that farthest Britons held whilme?

(Thou bardache Romulus!) this wilt see and bear? 5 Then art a lewdling, dicer, greedy-gut! 5b He now superb with pride superfluous Shall go perambulate the bedrooms all Like white-robed dovelet or Adonis-love.

Romulus thou bardache! this wilt see and bear?

Then art a lewdling, dicer, greedy-gut! 10 Is't for such like name, sole Emperor thou!

Thou soughtest extreme Occidental Isle?

That this your ---- Mentula Millions and Milliards might at will absorb?

What is't but Liberality misplaced? 15 What trifles wasted he, small heirlooms spent?

First his paternal goods were clean dispersed; Second went Pontus' spoils and for the third,-- Ebro-land,--weets it well gold-rolling Tage.

Fear him the Gallias? Him the Britons' fear? 20 Why cherish this ill-wight? what 'vails he do?

Save fat paternal heritage devour?

Lost ye for such a name, O puissant pair (Father and Son-in-law), our all-in-all?

Who can witness this, who can brook it, save a wh.o.r.e-monger, a guzzler, and a gamester, that Mamurra should possess what long-haired Gaul and remotest Britain erstwhile had. Thou catamite Romulus, this thou'lt see and bear?

Then thou'rt a wh.o.r.e-monger, a guzzler, and a gamester. And shall he now, superb and o'er replete, saunter o'er each one's bed, as though he were a snow-plumed dove or an Adonis? Thou catamite Romulus, this thou'lt see and hear? Then thou'rt a wh.o.r.e-monger, a guzzler, and a gamester. For such a name, O general unique, hast thou been to the furthest island of the west, that this thy futtered-out Mentula should squander hundreds of hundreds?

What is't but ill-placed munificence? What trifles has he squandered, or what petty store washed away? First his patrimony was mangled; secondly the Pontic spoils; then thirdly the Iberian, which the golden Tagus-stream knoweth. Do not the Gauls fear this man, do not the Britons quake? Why dost thou foster this scoundrel? What use is he save to devour well-fattened inheritances? Wast for such a name, O most puissant father-in-law and son-in-law, that ye have spoiled the entire world.

x.x.x.

Alfene inmemor atque unanimis false sodalibus Iam te nil miseret, dure, tui dulcis amiculi?

Iam me prodere, iam non dubitas fallere, perfide?

Nec facta inpia fallac.u.m hominum caelicolis placent:

Quod tu neglegis, ac me miserum deseris in malis. 5 Eheu quid faciant, dic, homines, cuive habeant fidem?

Certe tute iubebas animam tradere, inique, me Inducens in amorem, quasi tuta omnia mi forent.

Idem nunc retrahis te ac tua dicta omnia factaque Ventos inrita ferre ac nebulas aerias sinis. 10

Si tu oblitus es, at di meminerunt, meminit Fides, Quae te ut paeniteat postmodo facti faciet tui.

x.x.x.

TO ALFENUS THE PERJUROR.

Alfenus! short of memory, false to comrades dearest-dear, Now hast no pity (hardened Soul!) for friend and loving fere?

Now to betray me, now to guile thou (traitor!) ne'er dost pause?

Yet impious feats of fraudful men ne'er force the G.o.ds' applause:

When heed'st thou not deserting me (Sad me!) in sorest scathe, 5 Ah say whate'er shall humans do? in whom shall man show faith?

For sure thou bad'st me safely yield my spirit (wretch!) to thee, Lulling my love as though my life were all security.

The same now dost withdraw thyself and every word and deed Thou suffer'st winds and airy clouds to sweep from out thy head. 10

But an forget thou, mindful be the G.o.ds, and Faith in mind Bears thee, and soon shall gar thee rue the deeds by thee design'd.

Alfenus, unmemoried and unfaithful to thy comrades true, is there now no pity in thee, O hard of heart, for thine sweet loving friend? Dost thou betray me now, and scruplest not to play me false now, dishonourable one?

Yet the irreverent deeds of traitorous men please not the dwellers in heaven: this thou takest no heed of, leaving me wretched amongst my ills.

Alas, what may men do, I pray you, in whom put trust? In truth thou didst bid me entrust my soul to thee, sans love returned, lulling me to love, as though all [love-returns] were safely mine. Yet now thou dost withdraw thyself, and all thy purposeless words and deeds thou sufferest to be wafted away into winds and nebulous clouds. If thou hast forgotten, yet the G.o.ds remember, and in time to come will make thee rue thy doing.

x.x.xI.