The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus Part 30

ON MAMURRA.

Mentula fain would ascend Piplean mountain up-mounting: Pitch him the Muses down headlong wi' forklets a-hurled.

Mentula presumes the Pimplean mount to scale: the Muses with their pitchforks chuck him headlong down.

CVI.

c.u.m puero bello praeconem qui videt esse, Quid credat, nisi se vendere discupere?

CVI.

THE AUCTIONEER AND THE FAIR BOY.

When with a pretty-faced boy we see one playing the Crier, What can we wot except longs he for selling the same?

When with a comely lad a crier is seen to be, what may be thought save that he longs to sell himself.

CVII.

Siquoi quid cupido optantique obtigit umquam Insperanti, hoc est gratum animo proprie.

Quare hoc est gratum n.o.bisque est carius auro, Quod te rest.i.tuis, Lesbia, mi cupido, Rest.i.tuis cupido atque insperanti ipsa refers te. 5 n.o.bis o lucem candidiore nota!

Quis me uno vivit felicior, aut magis hac res Optandas vita dicere quis poterit?

CVII.

TO LESBIA RECONCILED.

An to one ever accrue any boon he l.u.s.ted and longed for Any time after despair, grateful it comes to his soul.

Thus 'tis grateful to us nor gold was ever so goodly, When thou restorest thyself (Lesbia!) to lovingmost me, Self thou restorest unhoped, and after despair thou returnest. 5 Oh the fair light of a Day noted with notabler white!

Where lives a happier man than myself or--this being won me-- Who shall e'er boast that his life brought him more coveted lot?

If what one desires and covets is ever obtained unhoped for, this is specially grateful to the soul. Wherefore is it grateful to us and far dearer than gold, that thou com'st again, Lesbia, to longing me; com'st yet again, long-looked for and unhoped, thou restorest thyself. O day of whiter note for us! who lives more happily than I, sole I, or who can say what greater thing than this could be hoped for in life?

CVIII.

Si, Comini, populi arbitrio tua cana senectus Spurcata inpuris moribus intereat, Non equidem dubito quin primum inimica bonorum Lingua execta avido sit data volturio, Effossos oculos voret atro gutture corvos, 5 Intestina canes, cetera membra lupi.

CVIII.

ON COMINIUS.

If by the verdict o' folk thy h.o.a.ry old age (O Cominius!) Filthy with fulsomest l.u.s.t ever be doomed to the death, Make I no manner of doubt but first thy tongue to the worthy Ever a foe, cut out, ravening Vulture shall feed; Gulp shall the Crow's black gorge those eye-b.a.l.l.s dug from their sockets, 5 Guts of thee go to the dogs, all that remains to the wolves.

If, O Cominius, by the people's vote thy h.o.a.ry age made filthy by unclean practices shall perish, forsure I doubt not but that first thy tongue, hostile to goodness, cut out, shall be given to the greedy vulture-brood, thine eyes, gouged out, shall the crows gorge down with sable maw, thine entrails [shall be flung] to the dogs, the members still remaining to the wolf.

CVIIII.

Iocundum, mea vita, mihi proponis amorem Hunc nostrum internos perpetuomque fore.

Di magni, facite ut vere promittere possit, Atque id sincere dicat et ex animo, Vt liceat n.o.bis tota producere vita 5 Alternum hoc sanctae foedus amicitae.

CVIIII.

TO LESBIA ON HER VOW OF CONSTANCY.

Gladsome to me, O my life, this love whose offer thou deignest Between us twain lively and l.u.s.ty to last soothfast.

(Great G.o.ds!) grant ye the boon that prove her promises loyal, Saying her say in truth spoken with spirit sincere; So be it lawful for us to protract through length of our life-tide 5 Mutual pact of our love, pledges of holy good will!

My joy, my life, thou declarest to me that this love of ours shall last ever between us. Great G.o.ds! grant that she may promise truly, and say this in sincerity and from her soul, and that through all our lives we may be allowed to prolong together this bond of holy friendship.

CX.

Aufilena, bonae semper laudantur amicae: Accipiunt pretium, quae facere inst.i.tuunt.

Tu quod promisti, mihi quod ment.i.ta inimica's, Quod nec das et fers saepe, facis facinus.

Aut facere ingenuaest, aut non promisse pudicae, 5 Aufilena, fuit: sed data corripere Fraudando + efficit plus quom meretricis avarae, Quae sese tota corpore prost.i.tuit.

CX.

TO AUFILENA.

Aufilena! for aye good la.s.ses are lauded as loyal: Price of themselves they accept when they intend to perform.

All thou promised'st me in belying proves thee unfriendly, For never giving and oft taking is deed illy done.

Either as honest to grant, or modest as never to promise, 5 Aufilena! were fair, but at the gifties to clutch Fraudfully, viler seems than greed of greediest harlot Who with her every limb maketh a wh.o.r.e of herself.

Aufilena, honest harlots are always praised: they accept the price of what they intend to do. Thou didst promise that to me, which, being a feigned promise, proves thee unfriendly; not giving that, and often accepting, thou dost wrongfully. Either to do it frankly, or not to promise from modesty, Aufilena, was becoming thee: but to s.n.a.t.c.h the gift and bilk, proves thee worse than the greedy strumpet who prost.i.tutes herself with every part of her body.

CXI.

Aufilena, viro contentam vivere solo, Nuptarum laus e laudibus eximiis: Sed cuivis quamvis potius succ.u.mbere par est, Quam matrem fratres _efficere_ ex patruo.

CXI.

TO THE SAME.

Aufilena! to live content with only one husband, Praise is and truest of praise ever bestowed upon wife.

Yet were it liefer to lie any wise with any for lover, Than to be breeder of boys uncle as cousins begat.

Aufilena, to be content to live with single mate, in married dame is praise of praises most excelling: but 'tis preferable to lie beneath any lover thou mayest choose, rather than to make thyself mother to thy cousins out of thy uncle.

CXII.

Multus h.o.m.o es Naso, neque tec.u.m multus h.o.m.ost qui Descendit: Naso, multus es et pathicus.

CXII.

ON NASO.

Great th'art (Naso!) as man, nor like thee many in greatness Lower themselves (Naso!): great be thou, pathic to boot.