VIVAMUS, MEA LESBIA, ATQUE AMEMUSODES - BOOK 1 - XIII
Catullus (Gaius Valerius Catullus)tr. Peter Whigham
Vivamvs, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,

rumores - que senum severiorum

omnes unius aestimemus assis.

soles occidere et redire possunt:

nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,

nox est perpetua una dormienda.

da mi basia mille, deinde centum,

dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,

deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.

dein, cum multa milia fecerimus,

conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,

aut ne quis malus invidere possit,

cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

 Lesbia
live with me
& love me so
we'll laugh at all
the sour-faced strict-
ures of the wise.
This sun once set
will rise again,
when our sun sets
follows night &
an endless sleep.
Kiss me now a
thousand times &
now a hundred
more & then a
hundred & a
thousand more again
till with so many
hundred thousand
kisses you & I
shall both lose count
nor any can
from envy of
so much of kissing
put his finger
on the number
of sweet kisses
you of me &
I of you,
darling, have had.
Click here 1 for another translation of this poem.
Transl. Copyright © Peter Whigham, 1966 - publ. Penguin Classics 








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