Social Commentaries

Carmen XVI (Burton)

by Gaius Valerius Catullus c. 84 – c. 54 BC

Translated by Sir Richard F. Burton (1894) · From The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus (1894)

Social Commentaries

I'll ---- you twain and ----
Pathic Aurélius! Fúrius, libertines!
Who durst determine from my versicles
Which seem o'er softy, that I'm scant of shame.
For pious poet it behoves be chaste
Himself; no chastity his verses need;
Nay, gain they finally more salt of wit
When over softy and of scanty shame,
Apt for exciting somewhat prurient,
In boys, I say not, but in bearded men
Who fail of movements in their hardened loins.
Ye who so many thousand kisses sung
Have read, deny male masculant I be?
You twain I'll ---- and ----

MLA

Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “Carmen XVI (Burton).” Translated by Sir Richard F. Burton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/236/.

Chicago

Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “Carmen XVI (Burton).” Translated by Sir Richard F. Burton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/236/.

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