The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus | Page 5

OF
Caius Valerius Catullus

C. VALERII CATVLLI
LIBER.
I.
Quoi dono lepidum novom libellum
Arida modo pumice expolitum?

Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
Meas esse aliquid putare nugas,

Iam tum cum ausus es unus Italorum 5 Omne aevum tribus explicare
chartis
Doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis.
Quare habe tibi quidquid hoc
libelli,
Qualecumque, quod o patrona virgo,
Plus uno maneat
perenne saeclo. 10
I.
DEDICATION TO CORNELIUS NEPOS.
Now smooth'd to polish due with pumice dry
Whereto this lively
booklet new give I?
To thee (Cornelius!); for wast ever fain
To
deem my trifles somewhat boon contain;
E'en when thou single
'mongst Italians found 5 Daredst all periods in three Scripts expound

Learned (by Jupiter!) elaborately.
Then take thee whatso in this
booklet be,
Such as it is, whereto O Patron Maid
To live down
Ages lend thou lasting aid! 10
To whom inscribe my dainty tome--just out and with ashen pumice
polished? Cornelius, to thee! for thou wert wont to deem my triflings of
account, and at a time when thou alone of Italians didst dare unfold the

ages' abstract in three chronicles--learned, by Jupiter!--and most
laboriously writ. Wherefore take thou this booklet, such as 'tis, and O
Virgin Patroness, may it outlive generations more than one.
II.
Passer, deliciae meae puellae,
Quicum ludere, quem in sinu tenere,

Quoi primum digitum dare adpetenti
Et acris solet incitare morsus,

Cum desiderio meo nitenti 5 Carum nescioquid libet iocari
Vt
solaciolum sui doloris,
Credo ut iam gravis acquiescat ardor:

Tecum ludere sicut ipsa possem
Et tristis animi levare curas! 10

Tam gratumst mihi quam ferunt puellae
Pernici aureolum fuisse malum,
Quod zonam soluit diu ligatam.
II.
LESBIA'S SPARROW.
Sparrow! my pet's delicious joy,
Wherewith in bosom nurst to toy

She loves, and gives her finger-tip
For sharp-nib'd greeding neb to
nip,
Were she who my desire withstood 5 To seek some pet of merry
mood,
As crumb o' comfort for her grief,
Methinks her burning
lowe's relief:
Could I, as plays she, play with thee,
That mind might
win from misery free! 10

To me t'were grateful (as they say),
Gold codling was to fleet-foot May,
Whose long-bound zone it loosed for aye.
Sparrow, petling of my girl, with which she wantons, which she presses
to her bosom, and whose eager peckings is accustomed to incite by
stretching forth her forefinger, when my bright-hued beautiful one is
pleased to jest in manner light as (perchance) a solace for her heart ache,
thus methinks she allays love's pressing heats! Would that in manner
like, I were able with thee to sport and sad cares of mind to lighten!

This were gracious to me as in story old to the maiden fleet of foot was
the apple golden-fashioned which unloosed her girdle long-time girt.
III.
Lugete, o Veneres Cupidinesque,
Et quantumst hominum
venustiorum.
Passer mortuus est meae puellae,
Passer, deliciae
meae puellae,
Quem plus illa oculis suis amabat: 5 Nam mellitus erat
suamque norat
Ipsa tam bene quam puella matrem
Nec sese a
gremio illius movebat,
Sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc
Ad
solam dominam usque pipiabat. 10 Qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum

Illuc, unde negant redire quemquam.
At vobis male sit, malae
tenebrae
Orci, quae omnia bella devoratis:
Tam bellum mihi
passerem abstulistis. 15 O factum male! io miselle passer!
Tua nunc
opera meae puellae
Flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli.
III.
ON THE DEATH OF LESBIA'S SPARROW.
Weep every Venus, and all Cupids wail,
And men whose gentler
spirits still prevail.
Dead is the Sparrow of my girl, the joy,
Sparrow,
my sweeting's most delicious toy,
Whom loved she dearer than her
very eyes; 5 For he was honeyed-pet and anywise
Knew her, as even
she her mother knew;
Ne'er from her bosom's harbourage he flew

But 'round her hopping here, there, everywhere,
Piped he to none but
her his lady fair. 10 Now must he wander o'er the darkling way

Thither, whence life-return the Fates denay.
But ah! beshrew you,
evil Shadows low'ring
In Orcus ever loveliest things devouring:

Who bore so pretty a Sparrow fro' her ta'en. 15 (Oh hapless birdie and
Oh deed of bane!)
Now by your wanton work my girl appears
With
turgid eyelids tinted rose by tears.
Mourn ye, O ye Loves and Cupids and all men of gracious mind. Dead

is the sparrow of my girl, sparrow, sweetling of my girl. Which more
than her eyes she loved; for sweet as honey was it and its mistress knew,
as well as damsel knoweth her own mother nor from her bosom did it
rove, but hopping round first one side then the other, to its mistress
alone it evermore did chirp. Now does it fare along that path of
shadows whence naught may e'er return. Ill be to ye, savage glooms of
Orcus, which swallow up all things of fairness: which have snatched
away from me the comely sparrow. O deed of bale! O sparrow sad of
plight! Now on thy account my girl's sweet eyes, swollen, do redden
with tear-drops.
IIII.
Phaselus ille, quem videtis, hospites,
Ait fuisse navium celerrimus,

Neque ullius natantis impetum trabis
Nequisse praeter ire, sive
palmulis
Opus foret volare sive linteo. 5 Et hoc negat minacis