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قراءة كتاب The Poems and Fragments of Catullus Translated in the Metres of the Original
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اللغة: English
The Poems and Fragments of Catullus Translated in the Metres of the Original
الصفحة رقم: 4
readers who can really hear with their ears—if, to use the borrowed language of a great poet, I succeed in making myself vocal to the intelligent alone.
CATULLUS.
I.
Who shall take thee, the new, the dainty volume,
Purfled glossily, fresh with ashy pumice?
Purfled glossily, fresh with ashy pumice?
You, Cornelius; you of old did hold them
Something worthy, the petty witty nothings,
Something worthy, the petty witty nothings,
5 While you venture, alone of all Italians,
Time's vast chronicle in three books to circle,
Jove! how arduous, how divinely learned!
Time's vast chronicle in three books to circle,
Jove! how arduous, how divinely learned!
Therefore welcome it, yours the little outcast,
This slight volume. O yet, supreme awarder,
10 Virgin, save it in ages on for ever.
This slight volume. O yet, supreme awarder,
10 Virgin, save it in ages on for ever.
II.
Sparrow, favourite of my own beloved,
Whom to play with, or in her arms to fondle,
She delighteth, anon with hardy-pointed
Finger angrily doth provoke to bite her:
Whom to play with, or in her arms to fondle,
She delighteth, anon with hardy-pointed
Finger angrily doth provoke to bite her:
5 When my lady, a lovely star to long for,
Bends her splendour awhile to tricksy frolic;
Peradventure a careful heart beguiling,
Pardie, heavier ache perhaps to lighten;
Bends her splendour awhile to tricksy frolic;
Peradventure a careful heart beguiling,
Pardie, heavier ache perhaps to lighten;
Might I, like her, in happy play caressing
10 Thee, my dolorous heart awhile deliver!
. . . . . . . .
I would joy, as of old the maid rejoiced
Racing fleetly, the golden apple eyeing,
Late-won loosener of the wary girdle.
10 Thee, my dolorous heart awhile deliver!
. . . . . . . .
I would joy, as of old the maid rejoiced
Racing fleetly, the golden apple eyeing,
Late-won loosener of the wary girdle.
III.
Weep each heavenly Venus, all the Cupids,
Weep all men that have any grace about ye.
Dead the sparrow, in whom my love delighted,
The dear sparrow, in whom my love delighted.
Weep all men that have any grace about ye.
Dead the sparrow, in whom my love delighted,
The dear sparrow, in whom my love delighted.
5 Yea, most precious, above her eyes, she held him,
Sweet, all honey: a bird that ever hail'd her
Lady mistress, as hails the maid a mother.
Sweet, all honey: a bird that ever hail'd her
Lady mistress, as hails the maid a mother.
Nor would move from her arms away: but only
Hopping round her, about her, hence or hither,
10 Piped his colloquy, piped to none beside her.
Hopping round her, about her, hence or hither,
10 Piped his colloquy, piped to none beside her.
Now he wendeth along the mirky pathway,
Whence, they tell us, is hopeless all returning.
Whence, they tell us, is hopeless all returning.
Evil on ye, the shades of evil Orcus,
Shades all beauteous happy things devouring,
15 Such a beauteous happy bird ye took him.
Shades all beauteous happy things devouring,
15 Such a beauteous happy bird ye took him.
IV.
1.
The puny pinnace yonder you, my friends, discern,
Of every ship professes agilest to be.
Nor yet a timber o'er the waves alertly flew
She might not aim to pass it; oary-wing'd alike
5 To fleet beyond them, or to scud beneath a sail.
Of every ship professes agilest to be.
Nor yet a timber o'er the waves alertly flew
She might not aim to pass it; oary-wing'd alike
5 To fleet beyond them, or to scud beneath a sail.
Nor here presumes denial any stormy coast
Of Adriatic or the Cyclad orbed isles,
A Rhodos immemorial, or that icy Thrace,
Propontis, or the gusty Pontic ocean-arm,
Of Adriatic or the Cyclad orbed isles,
A Rhodos immemorial, or that icy Thrace,
Propontis, or the gusty Pontic ocean-arm,
10 Whereon, a pinnace after, in the days of yore
A leafy shaw she budded; oft Cytorus' height
With her did inly whisper airy colloquy.
A leafy shaw she budded; oft Cytorus' height
With her did inly whisper airy colloquy.
2.
Amastris, you by Pontus, you, the box-clad hill
Of high Cytorus, all, the pinnace owns, to both
15 Was ever, is familiar; in the primal years
She stood upon your hoary top, a baby tree,
Within your haven early dipt a virgin oar:
Of high Cytorus, all, the pinnace owns, to both
15 Was ever, is familiar; in the primal years
She stood upon your hoary top, a baby tree,
Within your haven early dipt a virgin oar:
To carry thence a master o'er the surly seas,
A world of angry water, hail'd to left, to right
20 The breeze of invitation, or precisely set
The sheets together op'd to catch a kindly Jove.
A world of angry water, hail'd to left, to right
20 The breeze of invitation, or precisely set
The sheets together op'd to catch a kindly Jove.
Nor yet of any power whom the coasts adore
Was heard a vow to soothe them, all the weary way
From outer ocean unto glassy quiet here.
Was heard a vow to soothe them, all the weary way
From outer ocean unto glassy quiet here.
25 But all the past is over; indolently now
She rusts, a life in autumn, and her age devotes
To Castor and with him ador'd, the twin divine.
She rusts, a life in autumn, and her age devotes
To Castor and with him ador'd, the twin divine.
V.
Living, Lesbia, we should e'en be loving.
Sour severity, tongue of eld maligning,
All be to us a penny's estimation.
Sour severity, tongue of eld maligning,
All be to us a penny's estimation.
Suns set only to rise again to-morrow.
5 We, when sets in a little hour the brief light,
Sleep one infinite age, a night for ever.
5 We, when sets in a little hour the brief light,
Sleep one infinite age, a night for ever.
Thousand kisses, anon to these an hundred,
Thousand kisses again, another hundred,
Thousand give me again, another hundred.
Thousand kisses again, another hundred,
Thousand give me again, another hundred.
10 Then once heedfully counted all the thousands,
We'll uncount them as idly; so we shall not
Know, nor traitorous eye shall envy, knowing
All those myriad happy many kisses.
We'll uncount them as idly; so we shall not
Know, nor traitorous eye shall envy, knowing
All those myriad happy many kisses.
VI.
But that, Flavius, hardly nice or honest
This thy folly, methinks Catullus also
E'en had known it, a whisper had betray'd thee.
This thy folly, methinks Catullus also
E'en had known it, a whisper had betray'd thee.