A Selection of Catullan Poetry

All translations by Guy Lee.

CIX

You give me hope this mutual love of ours, my life,

Will be delightful and for ever.

Great Gods, enable her to promise truly,

To say it honestly and from the heart,

That we may be allowed to keep lifelong

This lasting pact of sacred friendship.

XIII

You'll dine well, my Fabullus, at mine

One day soon if the Gods are kind to you,

If you will bring with you a dinner

Good and large plus a pretty girl

And wine and salt and all the laughs.

If, I repeat, you bring these with you,

Our charmer, you'll dine well; for your

Catullus' purse is full of cobwebs.

But in return you'll get love neat

Or something still more choice and fragrant;

For I'll porvide the perfume given

My girl by Venuses and Cupids

And when you smell it you'll ask the Gods,

Fabullus, to make you one large nose.

VII

You ask how many of your mega-kisses

Would more than satisfy me, Lesbia.

Great as the sum of Libyssan sand lying

In silphiophorous Cyrene

From the oracle of torrid Jove

To old Battus' Holy Sepulchre,

Or many as the stars, when night is silent,

That watch the stolen loves of humans-

To kiss you just so many kisses

Would more than satisfy mad Catullus;

The inquisitive couldn't count them all

Nor evil tongue bring them bad luck.

To the main page
The Life of Catullus
The Life of Luxury
The Life of Lesbia
Power in Roman Relationships
A list of works cited