Social Commentaries
XLIII: Hail, fair virgin, a nose among the larger
Translated by Robinson Ellis (1871) · From The Poems and Fragments of Catullus (1871)
Hail, fair virgin, a nose among the larger,
Feet not dainty, nor eyes to match a raven,
Mouth scarce tenible, hands not wholly faultless,
Tongue most surely not absolute refinement,
Bankrupt Formian, your declar'd devotion.
Thou the beauty, the talk of all the province?
Thou my Lesbia tamely think to rival?
O preposterous, empty generation!
Cite this poem
MLA
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “XLIII: Hail, fair virgin, a nose among the larger.” Translated by Robinson Ellis. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/40/.
Chicago
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “XLIII: Hail, fair virgin, a nose among the larger.” Translated by Robinson Ellis. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/40/.
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