Catullus 5 and 7

Catullus 5 (hendecasyllales)

 

Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,

rumoresque 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 milia multa fecerimus,

conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,

aut nequis malus invidere possit,

cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

 

Catullus 7 (hendecasyllables)

 

Quaeris, quot mihi basiationes

tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque.

quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae

lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis,

oraclum Iovis inter aestuosi

et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum,

aut quam sidera multa, cum tacet nox,

furtivos hominum vident amores,

tam te basia multa basiare

vesano satis et super Catullost,

quae nec pernumerare curiosi

possint nec mala fascinare lingua.

 

My Sweetest Lesbia

Thomas Campion (1567-1620)

 

My sweetest Lesbia, let us live and love,

And though the sager sort our deeds reprove,

Let us not weigh them. Heaven’s great lamps do dive

Into their west, and straight again revive,

But soon as once set is our little light,

Then must we sleep one ever-during night.

 

If all would lead their lives in love like me,

Then bloody swords and armor should not be;

No drum nor trumpet peaceful sleeps should move,

Unless alarm came from the camp of love.

But fools do live, and waste their little light,

And seek with pain their ever-during night.

 

When timely death my life and fortune ends,Let not my hearse be vexed with mourning friends,

But let all lovers, rich in triumph, come

And with sweet pastimes grace my happy tomb;

And Lesbia, close up thou my little light,

And crown with love my ever-during night.