Social Commentaries
XXI: Sire and prince-patriarch of hungry starvelings
Translated by Robinson Ellis (1871) · From The Poems and Fragments of Catullus (1871)
Sire and prince-patriarch of hungry starvelings,
Lean Aurelius, all that are, that have been,
That shall ever in after years be famish'd;
Wouldst thou lewdly my dainty love to folly
Tempt, and visibly? thou be near, be joking
Cling and fondle, a hundred arts redouble?
O presume not: a wily wit defeated
Pays in scandalous incapacitation.
Yet didst folly to fulness add, 'twere all one;
Now shall beauty to thirst be train'd or hunger's
Grim necessity; this is all my sorrow.
Then hold, wanton, upon the verge; to-morrow
Comes preposterous incapacitation.
Cite this poem
MLA
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “XXI: Sire and prince-patriarch of hungry starvelings.” Translated by Robinson Ellis. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/18/.
Chicago
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “XXI: Sire and prince-patriarch of hungry starvelings.” Translated by Robinson Ellis. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/18/.
Read this poem with the Codex →