Living

Ad Fabullum (Catullus, Ep. 13)

by Richard Lovelace 1617–1657

Translated by Richard Lovelace (1659) · From Lucasta: Posthume Poems (1659)

Living

Fabullus, I will treat you handsomely
Shortly, if the kind gods will favour thee.
If thou dost bring with thee a del'cate messe,
An olio or so, a pretty lass,
Brisk wine, sharp tales, all sorts of drollery,
These if thou bringst (I say) along with thee,
You shall feed highly, friend: for, know, the ebbs
Of my lank purse are full of spiders webs;
But then again you shall receive clear love,
Or what more grateful or more sweet may prove:
For with an ointment I will favour thee
My Venus's and Cupids gave to me,
Of which once smelt, the gods thou wilt implore,
Fabullus, that they'd make thee nose all ore.

MLA

Lovelace, Richard. “Ad Fabullum (Catullus, Ep. 13).” Translated by Richard Lovelace. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/lovelace/137/.

Chicago

Lovelace, Richard. “Ad Fabullum (Catullus, Ep. 13).” Translated by Richard Lovelace. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/lovelace/137/.

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