Love
XCI: Think not a hope so false rose, Gellius, in me to find thee
Translated by Robinson Ellis (1871) · From The Poems and Fragments of Catullus (1871)
Think not a hope so false rose, Gellius, in me to find thee
Faithful in all this love's anguish ineffable yet,
For that in heart I knew thee, had in thee honour imagin'd,
Held thee a soul to abhor vileness or any reproach.
Only in her, I knew, thou found'st not a mother, a sister,
Her that awhile for love wearily made me to pine.
Yea tho' mutual use did bind us straitly together,
Scarcely methought could lie cause to desert me therein.
Thou found'st reason enow; so joys thy spirit in every
Shame, wherever is aught heinous, of infamy born.
Cite this poem
MLA
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “XCI: Think not a hope so false rose, Gellius, in me to find thee.” Translated by Robinson Ellis. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/84/.
Chicago
Catullus, Gaius Valerius. “XCI: Think not a hope so false rose, Gellius, in me to find thee.” Translated by Robinson Ellis. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/catullus/84/.
Read this poem with the Codex →