The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus Part 26

Quid dicam, Gelli, quare rosea ista labella Hiberna fiant candidiora nive, Mane domo c.u.m exis et c.u.m te octava quiete E molli longo suscitat hora die?

Nescioquid certest: an vere fama susurrat 5 Grandia te medii tenta vorare viri?

Sic certest: clamant Victoris rupta miselli Ilia, et emulso labra notata sero.

Lx.x.x.

TO GELLIUS.

How shall I (Gellius!) tell what way lips rosy as thine are Come to be bleached and blanched whiter than wintry snow, Whenas thou quittest the house a-morn, and at two after noon-tide Roused from quiet repose, wakest for length of the day?

Certes sure am I not an Rumour rightfully whisper 5 * * * *

What shall I say, Gellius, wherefore those lips, erstwhile rosy-red, have become whiter than wintery snow, thou leaving home at morn and when the noontide hour arouses thee from soothing slumber to face the longsome day?

I know not forsure! but is Rumour gone astray with her whisper that thou devourest the well-grown tenseness of a man's middle? So forsure it must be! the ruptured guts of wretched Virro cry it aloud, and thy lips marked with lately-drained [Greek: s.e.m.e.n] publish the fact.

Lx.x.xI.

Nemone in tanto potuit populo esse, Iuventi, Bellus h.o.m.o, quem tu diligere inciperes, Praeterquam iste tuus moribunda a sede Pisauri Hospes inaurata pallidior statua, Qui tibi nunc cordist, quem tu praeponere n.o.bis 5 Audes, et nescis quod facinus facias.

Lx.x.xI.

TO JUVENTIUS.

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

Could there be no one in so great a crowd, Juventius, no gallant whom thou couldst fall to admiring, beyond him, the guest of thy hearth from moribund Pisaurum, wanner than a gilded statue? Who now is in thine heart, whom thou darest to place above us, and knowest not what crime thou dost commit.

Lx.x.xII.

Quinti, si tibi vis oculos debere Catullum Aut aliud siquid carius est oculis, Eripere ei noli, multo quod carius illi Est oculis seu quid carius est oculis.

Lx.x.xII.

TO QUINTIUS.

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.

Quintius, if thou dost wish Catullus to owe his eyes to thee, or aught, if such may be, dearer than his eyes, be unwilling to s.n.a.t.c.h from him what is much dearer to him than his eyes, or than aught which itself may be dearer to him than his eyes.

Lx.x.xIII.

Lesbia mi praesente viro mala plurima dicit: Haec illi fatuo maxima laet.i.tiast.

Mule, nihil sentis. si nostri oblita taceret, Sana esset: nunc quod gannit et obloquitur, Non solum meminit, sed quae multo acrior est res 5 Iratast. Hoc est, uritur et coquitur.

Lx.x.xIII.

OF LESBIA'S HUSBAND.

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 whatso she rails and she snarls, Not only dwells in her thought, but worse and even more risky, 5 Wrathful she bides. Which means, she is afire and she fumes.

Lesbia in her lord's presence says the utmost ill about me: this gives the greatest pleasure to that ninny. a.s.s, thou hast no sense! if through forgetfulness she were silent about us, it would be well: now that she snarls and scolds, not only does she remember, but what is a far bitterer thing, she is enraged. That is, she inflames herself and ripens her pa.s.sion.

Lx.x.xIIII.

Chommoda dicebat, si quando commoda vellet Dicere, et insidias Arrius hinsidias, Et tum mirifice sperabat se esse locutum, c.u.m quantum poterat dixerat hinsidias.

Credo, sic mater, sic Liber avonculus eius, 5 Sic maternus avos dixerat atque avia.

Hoc misso in Syriam requierant omnibus aures: Audibant eadem haec leniter et leviter, Nec sibi postilla metuebant talia verba, c.u.m subito adfertur nuntius horribilis, 10 Ionios fluctus, postquam illuc Arrius isset, Iam non Ionios esse, sed Hionios.

Lx.x.xIIII.

ON ARRIUS, A ROMAN 'ARRY.

Wont is 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 5 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 p.r.o.nounced, Nor any feared to hear such harshness uttered thereafter, Whenas a sudden came message of horrible news, 10 Namely th' Ionian waves when Arrius thither had wended, Were "Ionian" no more--they had "Hionian" become.

_Chommodious_ did Arrius say, whenever he had need to say commodious, and for insidious _hinsidious_, and felt confident he spoke with accent wondrous fine, when aspirating _hinsidious_ to the full of his lungs. I understand that his mother, his uncle Liber, his maternal grand-parents all spoke thus. He being sent into Syria, everyone's ears were rested, hearing these words spoken smoothly and slightly, nor after that did folk fear such words from him, when on a sudden is brought the nauseous news that th'

Ionian waves, after Arrius' arrival thither, no longer are Ionian hight, but are now the _Hionian Hocean_.

Lx.x.xV.

Odi et amo. quare id faciam, forta.s.se requiris.

Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

Lx.x.xV.

HOW THE POET LOVES.

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.

I hate and I love. Wherefore do I so, peradventure thou askest. I know not, but I feel it to be thus and I suffer.

Lx.x.xVI.

Quintia formosast multis, mihi candida, longa, Rectast. haec ego sic singula confiteor, Totum illud formosa nego: nam nulla venustas, Nulla in tam magnost corpore mica salis.

Lesbia formosast, quae c.u.m pulcherrima totast, 5 Tum omnibus una omnes surripuit Veneres.

Lx.x.xVI.

OF QUINTIA.

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, 5 Any Venus-gift stole she from every one.