" But labour 'tis of
Hercules
thee now to find.
Catullus - Carmina
"
But now to find thee were Herculean feat. 13
Not if I feigned me that guard of Crete, 23
Not if with Pegasean wing I sped,
Or Ladas I or Perseus plumiped, 25
Or Rhesus borne in swifty car snow-white:
Add the twain foot-bewing'd and fast of flight,
And of the cursive winds require the blow:
All these (Camerius! ) couldst on me bestow.
Tho' were I wearied to each marrow bone 30
And by many o' languors clean forgone
Yet I to seek thee (friend! ) would still assay. 32
In such proud lodging (friend) wouldst self denay? 14
Tell us where haply dwell'st thou, speak outright,
Be bold and risk it, trusting truth to light,
Say do these milk-white girls thy steps detain?
If aye in tight-sealed lips thy tongue remain,
All Amor's fruitage thou shalt cast away:
Verbose is Venus, loving verbal play! 20
But, an it please thee, padlockt palate bear,
So in your friendship I have partner-share.
We beg, if maybe 'tis not untoward, thou'lt shew us where may be thine
haunt sequestered. Thee did we quest within the Lesser Fields, thee in the
Circus, thee in every bookshop, thee in holy fane of highmost Jove. In
promenade yclept "The Great," the crowd of cocottes straightway did I stop,
O friend, accosting those whose looks I noted were unruffled. And for thee
loudly did I clamour, "Restore to me Camerius, most giddy girls. " Quoth
such-an-one, her bosom bare a-shewing, "Look! 'twixt rose-red paps he
shelters him.
" But labour 'tis of Hercules thee now to find. Not were I
framed the Cretan guard, nor did I move with Pegasean wing, nor were I
Ladas, or Persius with the flying foot, or Rhesus with swift and snowy
team: to these add thou the feathery-footed and winged ones, ask likewise
fleetness of the winds: which all united, O Camerius, couldst thou me
grant, yet exhausted in mine every marrow and with many a faintness
consumed should I be in my quest for thee, O friend. Why withdraw thyself
in so much pride, O friend? Tell us where thou wilt be found, declare it
boldly, give up the secret, trust it to the light. What, do the milk-white
maidens hold thee? If thou dost hold thy tongue closed up in mouth, thou
squanderest Love's every fruit: for Venus joys in many-worded babblings.
Yet if thou wishest, thou mayst bar thy palate, if I may be a sharer in thy
love.
LVI.
Orem ridiculam, Cato, et iocosam
Dignamque auribus et tuo cachinno.
Ride, quidquid amas, Cato, Catullum:
Res est ridicula et nimis iocosa.
Deprendi modo pupulum puellae 5
Trusantem: hunc ego, si placet Dionae,
Protelo rigida mea cecidi.
LVI.
TO CATO, DESCRIBING A "BLACK JOKER. "
O risible matter (Cato! ) and jocose,
Digne of thy hearing, of thy sneering digne.
Laugh (Cato!
But now to find thee were Herculean feat. 13
Not if I feigned me that guard of Crete, 23
Not if with Pegasean wing I sped,
Or Ladas I or Perseus plumiped, 25
Or Rhesus borne in swifty car snow-white:
Add the twain foot-bewing'd and fast of flight,
And of the cursive winds require the blow:
All these (Camerius! ) couldst on me bestow.
Tho' were I wearied to each marrow bone 30
And by many o' languors clean forgone
Yet I to seek thee (friend! ) would still assay. 32
In such proud lodging (friend) wouldst self denay? 14
Tell us where haply dwell'st thou, speak outright,
Be bold and risk it, trusting truth to light,
Say do these milk-white girls thy steps detain?
If aye in tight-sealed lips thy tongue remain,
All Amor's fruitage thou shalt cast away:
Verbose is Venus, loving verbal play! 20
But, an it please thee, padlockt palate bear,
So in your friendship I have partner-share.
We beg, if maybe 'tis not untoward, thou'lt shew us where may be thine
haunt sequestered. Thee did we quest within the Lesser Fields, thee in the
Circus, thee in every bookshop, thee in holy fane of highmost Jove. In
promenade yclept "The Great," the crowd of cocottes straightway did I stop,
O friend, accosting those whose looks I noted were unruffled. And for thee
loudly did I clamour, "Restore to me Camerius, most giddy girls. " Quoth
such-an-one, her bosom bare a-shewing, "Look! 'twixt rose-red paps he
shelters him.
" But labour 'tis of Hercules thee now to find. Not were I
framed the Cretan guard, nor did I move with Pegasean wing, nor were I
Ladas, or Persius with the flying foot, or Rhesus with swift and snowy
team: to these add thou the feathery-footed and winged ones, ask likewise
fleetness of the winds: which all united, O Camerius, couldst thou me
grant, yet exhausted in mine every marrow and with many a faintness
consumed should I be in my quest for thee, O friend. Why withdraw thyself
in so much pride, O friend? Tell us where thou wilt be found, declare it
boldly, give up the secret, trust it to the light. What, do the milk-white
maidens hold thee? If thou dost hold thy tongue closed up in mouth, thou
squanderest Love's every fruit: for Venus joys in many-worded babblings.
Yet if thou wishest, thou mayst bar thy palate, if I may be a sharer in thy
love.
LVI.
Orem ridiculam, Cato, et iocosam
Dignamque auribus et tuo cachinno.
Ride, quidquid amas, Cato, Catullum:
Res est ridicula et nimis iocosa.
Deprendi modo pupulum puellae 5
Trusantem: hunc ego, si placet Dionae,
Protelo rigida mea cecidi.
LVI.
TO CATO, DESCRIBING A "BLACK JOKER. "
O risible matter (Cato! ) and jocose,
Digne of thy hearing, of thy sneering digne.
Laugh (Cato!
