Catullus 61

Original Latin

Collis o Heliconii

cultor, Uraniae genus,

qui rapis teneram ad virum

virginem, o Hymenaee Hymen,

o Hymen Hymenaee;

cinge tempora floribus

suave olentis amaraci,

flammeum cape laetus, huc

huc veni, niveo gerens

luteum pede soccum;

excitusque hilari die,

nuptialia concinens

voce carmina tinnula,

pelle humum pedibus, manu

pineam quate taedam.

namque Iunia Manlio,

qualis Idalium colens

venit ad Phrygium Venus

iudicem, bona cum bona

nubet alite virgo,

floridis velut enitens

myrtus Asia ramulis

quos Hamadryades deae

ludicrum sibi roscido

nutriunt umore.

quare age, huc aditum ferens,

perge linquere Thespiae

rupis Aonios specus,

nympha quos super irrigat

frigerans Aganippe.

ac domum dominam voca

coniugis cupidam novi,

mentem amore revinciens,

ut tenax hedera huc et huc

arborem implicat errans.

vosque item simul, integrae

virgines, quibus advenit

par dies, agite in modum

dicite, o Hymenaee Hymen,

o Hymen Hymenaee.

ut libentius, audiens

se citarier ad suum

munus, huc aditum ferat

dux bonae Veneris, boni

coniugator amoris.

quis deus magis est ama-

tis petendus amantibus?

quem colent homines magis

caelitum, o Hymenaee Hymen,

o Hymen Hymenaee?

te suis tremulus parens

invocat, tibi virgines

zonula solvunt sinus,

te timens cupida novos

captat aure maritus.

tu fero iuveni in manus

floridam ipse puellulam

dedis a gremio suae

matris, o Hymenaee Hymen,

o Hymen Hymenaee.

nil potest sine te Venus,

fama quod bona comprobet,

commodi capere, at potest

te volente. quis huic deo

compararier ausit?

nulla quit sine te domus

liberos dare, nec parens

stirpe nitier; ac potest

te volente. quis huic deo

compararier ausit?

quae tuis careat sacris,

non queat dare praesides

terra finibus: at queat

te volente. quis huic deo

compararier ausit?

claustra pandite ianuae.

virgo adest. viden ut faces

splendidas quatiunt comas?

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tardet ingenuus pudor.

quem tamen magis audiens,

flet quod ire necesse est.

flere desine. non tibi Au-

runculeia periculum est,

ne qua femina pulcrior

clarum ab Oceano diem

uiderit venientem.

talis in vario solet

divitis domini hortulo

stare flos hyacinthinus.

sed moraris, abit dies.

prodeas nova nupta.

prodeas nova nupta, si

iam videtur, et audias

nostra verba. viden? faces

aureas quatiunt comas:

prodeas nova nupta.

non tuus levis in mala

deditus vir adultera,

probra turpia persequens,

a tuis teneris volet

secubare papillis,

lenta sed velut adsitas

vitis implicat arbores,

implicabitur in tuum

complexum. sed abit dies:

prodeas nova nupta.

o cubile, quod omnibus

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candido pede lecti,

quae tuo veniunt ero,

quanta gaudia, quae vaga

nocte, quae medio die

gaudeat! sed abit dies:

prodeas nova nupta.

tollite, o pueri, faces:

flammeum video venire.

ite concinite in modum

'io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.'

ne diu taceat procax

Fescennina iocatio,

nec nuces pueris neget

desertum domini audiens

concubinus amorem.

da nuces pueris, iners

concubine! satis diu

lusisti nucibus: lubet

iam servire Talasio.

concubine, nuces da.

sordebant tibi villicae,

concubine, hodie atque heri:

nunc tuum cinerarius

tondet os. miser a miser

concubine, nuces da.

diceris male te a tuis

unguentate glabris marite

abstinere, sed abstine.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

scimus haec tibi quae licent

sola cognita, sed marito

ista non eadem licent.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

nupta, tu quoque quae tuus

vir petet cave ne neges,

ni petitum aliunde eat.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

en tibi domus ut potens

et beata viri tui,

quae tibi sine serviat

(io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee)

usque dum tremulum movens

cana tempus anilitas

omnia omnibus annuit.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

transfer omine cum bono

limen aureolos pedes,

rasilemque subi forem.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

aspice intus ut accubans

vir tuus Tyrio in toro

totus immineat tibi.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

illi non minus ac tibi

pectore uritur intimo

flamma, sed penite magis.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

mitte brachiolum teres,

praetextate, puellulae:

iam cubile adeat viri.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

vos bonae senibus viris

cognitae bene feminae,

collocate puellulam.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

iam licet venias, marite:

uxor in thalamo tibi est,

ore floridulo nitens,

alba parthenice velut

luteumve papaver.

at, marite, ita me iuvent

caelites, nihilo minus

pulcer es, neque te Venus

neglegit. sed abit dies:

perge, ne remorare.

non diu remoratus es:

iam venis. bona te Venus

iuuerit, quoniam palam

quod cupis cupis, et bonum

non abscondis amorem.

ille pulueris Africi

siderumque micantium

subducat numerum prius,

qui vestri numerare vult

multa milia ludi.

ludite ut lubet, et brevi

liberos date. non decet

tam vetus sine liberis

nomen esse, sed indidem

semper ingenerari.

Torquatus volo parvulus

matris e gremio suae

porrigens teneras manus

dulce rideat ad patrem

semihiante labello.

sit suo similis patri

Manlio et facile insciis

noscitetur ab omnibus,

et pudicitiam suae

matris indicet ore.

talis illius a bona

matre laus genus approbet,

qualis unica ab optima

matre Telemacho manet

fama Penelopeo.

claudite ostia, virgines:

lusimus satis. at boni

coniuges, bene vivite et

munere assiduo valentem

exercete iuventam.

My Translation

Dweller on the Heliconian hills,

child of Urania,

you who carry off the maiden girl

to her husband—

O Hymen Hymenaee,

O Hymen Hymenaee—

crown your brow with the sweet-scented 

marjoram flowers and wear the lovely bridal veil!

Come here! Come here! You,

with the yellow sandal placed 

on your snowy-white foot. 

You, excited by the brilliant sun,

chanting wedding songs

in a joyous voice,

strike the ground with your feet!

Shake the pine-wood torch in your hand! 

Just as Vinia runs to her Manlius, 

and Venus, dwelling on Mount Ida, 

runs to Paris, her Phrygian judge, 

so to runs the lovely maiden

to her good husband,

married under a fortunate sign—

she shines like a myrtle, 

flowering like the branches of Asia,

which the blessed Hamadryad goddesses

nourish with dewy moisture.

Come here! Come here! 

Leave behind the Aonian caves and 

Thespian cliffs, where the nymph 

bathes above in Aganippe’s chilly stream. 

And call to her new home the mistress–

eager for her new husband–

her heart bound with love as 

a tree is wrapped with

clinging, wandering ivy. 

And you too, you pure maidens! The same day draws closer for you, too, 

so come together and sing:

O Hymen Hymenaee,

O Hymen Hymenaee—

hearing himself called, he may come 

more willingly to his duty. Sing so that

he, Venus’s good guide, 

true love’s blesser, 

may bring his steps here.

For what other God could possible by sought by lovestruck lovers?

What other god do men honor more? No other, besides 

O Hymen Hymenaee,

O Hymen Hymenaee!

It is you whom the fearful father calls upon,

you for whom the maidens loosen their belts, 

and you whom the anxious groom, 

full of fear and passions, 

listens for so eagerly. 

And it is you who, 

lifting her from her mother’s lap, 

places the blossoming girl in the arms 

of this eager young man, 

O Hymen Hymenaee,

O Hymen Hymenaee. 

Without you, Venus’s good reputation 

would be worthless–

but with you, she is beloved. 

Who would ever dare to be compared 

with such a god as you!

Without you, no home can hold children,

no father trusts his lineage. 

But with you, they can!

Who would ever dare to be compared 

with such a god as you!

Without your blessings, 

no land can guard its borders. 

But with you, it can!

Who would ever dare to be compared 

with such a god as you!

Unlock the doors, for the bride is here!

Can you see how the blazing torches dance?

Let her purity linger for a moment now–

even she, obedient maiden, weeps, 

for she must leave innocence behind. 

Stop crying, Aurunculeia!

There is no danger that any greater 

beauty will see the bright heavens

rising from Ocean’s waters, 

for such a hyacinth flower 

usually rests in the 

kaleidoscopic garden of its 

wealthy master. 

But still, you delay. Come here, 

new bride– the day is waning–

come here, new bride, if it seems time,

and listen to our words.

Can you see how the blazing torches dance?

Come here, new bride!

Your husband is no fool, 

nor a foul adulterer, 

nor a pursuer of shameful scandals–

he does not yearn to 

sleep apart from your tender bosom,

and just as supple vines wind 

around the neighboring tree they claim, 

so too will he melt intoyour embrace. 

But the day is waning–

come here, new bride!

O bridal bed, your shining feet are honored by all–

 what joys will come to your master?

What delights– in the tawdling night

or even at midday –

will he enjoy?

But the day is waning–

come here, new bride!

Alright, boys, lift her– raise your torches!

I can see the veil approaching. 

Go, sing in rhythm: 

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

Do not let that bold, Fescennine 

laughter quiet down, 

nor let the groom’s most favored boy, 

abandoned by his master’s love, 

refuse nuts to the boys. 

You foolish favored boy, give nuts to the boys!

You’ve toyed with them long enough – be pleased, now, 

to serve Talasius. 

Favored boy, give them the nuts! Just yesterday, 

farm girls were beneath you.

Now, the barber shaves your beard. 

Poor, sad favored boy–

hand over the nuts. 

You’ll be criticized for abstaining 

from your slaves, fragrant groom, 

but abstain.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

We know the freedoms you, the groom, have now, 

are all that you have ever known, 

but those same freedoms cannot follow you

into marriage. 

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

And you too, bride–

do not refuse what your husband demands,

lest he seek fulfillment from another.

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

Look around! Here is the home of 

your powerful, lucky husband – 

it will never fail you,

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

until it, trembling with old age, 

its grey hair shivering, 

agrees to everything once and for all. 

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

Step with blessings across the threshold!

Lift your golden feet across the gleaming door!

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

Peer inside – look! Your husband, 

reclining on the Tyrian couch, 

bends all of himself towards you. 

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

A flame burns inside of him, 

not any less strong than in yours, 

but even closer to his heart. 

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

You, boy in the bordered toga, 

unfurl your rounded arm

and let this girl approach

her husband’s bed. 

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

And you, women, 

established with esteemed husbands, 

place the bride upon the bed. 

io Hymen Hymenaee io,

io Hymen Hymenaee.

O groom, it is time for you to come in!

Your wife, shining with her face 

blooming white as pale chamomile or

a yellow poppy, 

awaits you in your chamber. 

And you, husband 

(I say this so the gods may help me) 

are no less handsome, nor 

neglected by Venus. 

But the day is waning–

Hurry on! Don’t delay!

Good, already you have come –

you did not dawdle. 

Lovely Venus will aid you, since

you are not shy about what you desire

and do not keep your worthy love hidden. 

Let any man who wants to count 

your thousands of delights need first to 

count the grains of African and 

the number of twinkling stars. 

Enjoy her as you wish, 

and soon give her children. 

So ancient a name cannot remain 

without offspring– it 

must be reborn!

I hope to see a baby Torquatus, 

resting in his mother’s lap and 

stretching his soft hands, 

smiling sweetly at his father 

with parted lips. 

Let this baby take after his father, Manlius, 

so that all who do not know him

may easily recognize him. 

Let his face, too, mirror 

his mother’s modesty.

And let his lineage win praise 

from his pure mother, just like 

Penelope’s goodness 

continues to bless Telemachus. 

Lock the doors, maidens! We have had enough fun. 

But you, young newlyweds, 

continue to live happily

in your eternal union,

with love just as strong as when you were young.