Lesbia naggeth at me evermore and ne'er is she silent
Touching myself: May I die but that by Lesbia I'm loved.
Touching myself: May I die but that by Lesbia I'm loved.
Catullus - Carmina
10
LXXXXI.
TO GELLIUS.
Not for due cause I hoped to find thee (Gellius! ) faithful
In this saddest our love, love that is lost and forlore,
Or fro' my wotting thee well or ever believing thee constant,
Or that thy mind could reject villany ever so vile,
But that because was she to thyself nor mother nor sister, 5
This same damsel whose Love me in its greatness devoured.
Yet though I had been joined wi' thee by amplest of usance,
Still could I never believe this was sufficient of cause.
Thou diddest deem it suffice: so great is thy pleasure in every
Crime wherein may be found somewhat enormous of guilt. 10
Not for other reason, Gellius, did I hope for thy faith to me in this our
unhappy, this our desperate love (because I knew thee well nor thought thee
constant or able to restrain thy mind from shameless act), but that I saw
this girl was neither thy mother nor thy sister, for whom my ardent love
ate me. And although I have had many mutual dealings with thee, I did not
credit this case to be enough cause for thee. Thou didst find it enough: so
great is thy joy in every kind of guilt in which is something infamous.
LXXXXII.
Lesbia mi dicit semper male nec tacet umquam
De me: Lesbia me dispeream nisi amat.
Quo signo? quia sunt + totidem mea: deprecor illam
Absidue, verum dispeream nisi amo.
LXXXXII.
ON LESBIA.
Lesbia naggeth at me evermore and ne'er is she silent
Touching myself: May I die but that by Lesbia I'm loved.
What be the proof? I rail and retort like her and revile her
Carefully, yet may I die but that I love her with love.
Lesbia forever speaks ill of me nor is ever silent anent me: may I perish
if Lesbia do not love me! By what sign? because I am just the same: I
malign her without cease, yet may I die if I do not love her in sober
truth.
LXXXXIII.
Nil nimium studeo Caesar tibi belle placere,
Nec scire utrum sis albus an ater homo.
LXXXXIII.
ON JULIUS CAESAR.
Study I not o'ermuch to please thee (Caesar! ) and court thee,
Nor do I care e'en to know an thou be white or be black.
I am not over anxious, Caesar, to please thee greatly, nor to know whether
thou art white or black man.
LXXXXIIII.
Mentula moechatur. moechatur mentula: certe.
LXXXXI.
TO GELLIUS.
Not for due cause I hoped to find thee (Gellius! ) faithful
In this saddest our love, love that is lost and forlore,
Or fro' my wotting thee well or ever believing thee constant,
Or that thy mind could reject villany ever so vile,
But that because was she to thyself nor mother nor sister, 5
This same damsel whose Love me in its greatness devoured.
Yet though I had been joined wi' thee by amplest of usance,
Still could I never believe this was sufficient of cause.
Thou diddest deem it suffice: so great is thy pleasure in every
Crime wherein may be found somewhat enormous of guilt. 10
Not for other reason, Gellius, did I hope for thy faith to me in this our
unhappy, this our desperate love (because I knew thee well nor thought thee
constant or able to restrain thy mind from shameless act), but that I saw
this girl was neither thy mother nor thy sister, for whom my ardent love
ate me. And although I have had many mutual dealings with thee, I did not
credit this case to be enough cause for thee. Thou didst find it enough: so
great is thy joy in every kind of guilt in which is something infamous.
LXXXXII.
Lesbia mi dicit semper male nec tacet umquam
De me: Lesbia me dispeream nisi amat.
Quo signo? quia sunt + totidem mea: deprecor illam
Absidue, verum dispeream nisi amo.
LXXXXII.
ON LESBIA.
Lesbia naggeth at me evermore and ne'er is she silent
Touching myself: May I die but that by Lesbia I'm loved.
What be the proof? I rail and retort like her and revile her
Carefully, yet may I die but that I love her with love.
Lesbia forever speaks ill of me nor is ever silent anent me: may I perish
if Lesbia do not love me! By what sign? because I am just the same: I
malign her without cease, yet may I die if I do not love her in sober
truth.
LXXXXIII.
Nil nimium studeo Caesar tibi belle placere,
Nec scire utrum sis albus an ater homo.
LXXXXIII.
ON JULIUS CAESAR.
Study I not o'ermuch to please thee (Caesar! ) and court thee,
Nor do I care e'en to know an thou be white or be black.
I am not over anxious, Caesar, to please thee greatly, nor to know whether
thou art white or black man.
LXXXXIIII.
Mentula moechatur. moechatur mentula: certe.
