TO AURELIUS AND FURIUS IN DEFENCE OF HIS MUSE'S HONESTY.

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 5

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 10

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 ----

I will paedicate and irrumate you, Aurelius the bardache and Furius the

cinaede, who judge me from my verses rich in love-liesse, to be their equal

in modesty. For it behoves your devout poet to be chaste himself; his

verses--not of necessity. Which verses, in a word, may have a spice and

volupty, may have passion's cling and such like decency, so that they can

incite with ticklings, I do not say boys, but bearded ones whose stiffened

limbs amort lack pliancy in movement. You, because of many thousand kisses

you have read, think me womanish. I will paedicate and irrumate you!

The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus · 第 66 / 372 题