If love of mine could witch you back to earth
It would be when the bat is on the wing,
The lawn dew-drenched, the first stars glimmering,
The moon a golden slip of seven nights' birth.
If prayer of mine could bring you it would be
To this wraith-flowered, jasmine-scented place
Where shadow trees their branches interlace;
Phantoms we'd tread a land of fantasy.
If love could hold you I would bid you wait
Till the pearl sky is indigo and till
The plough shows silver lamps beyond the hill
And Hesperus holds his torch above the gate.

1

Since mine eyes beheld him,
Blind I seem to be;
Wheresoe'er they wander,
Him alone they see.
Round me glows his image,
In a waking dream;
From the darkness rising
Brighter doth it beam.

All is drear and gloomy
That around me lies;
Now my sister's pastimes
I no longer prize;
In my chamber rather
Would I weep alone;
Since my eyes beheld him
Blind methinks I'm grown.

2

He, the best of all, the noblest,

RENUNCIATION .

To treasure thoughts of kindness shown
And feel no duty left undone, —
No outraged faith, no league of love
Betrayed in mock appeal to Jove —
If this be pleasure, many a joy,
Catullus, waits you by and by
From this ungrateful love! By you
All kindly things to say or do
Were said and done; — all to no good
Offered to such ingratitude.
Why further rack yourself? O borrow
Strength for withdrawal yet more thorough,
And grieve not Heaven by wooing Sorrow!
'T is hard at once old love to quell.

LOVE IN RUINS .

Lesbia! you used to say you were
Catullus' own;
To me not Jove would you prefer,
And thereupon
I loved you as no mistress mere,
But as a son
Or daughter's husband is held dear —
Now you are known!
And though my passion 's livelier
And fiercer grown,
More vile and worthless you appear —
The wrong you 've done

RECONCILIATION .

When he who longs and sighs,
Though hope has fled,
Stumbles upon the prize,
Oh, joy indeed!
Such joy is mine, that thou,
Dearer than gold,
Lesbia, reseekest now
Thy love of old;
Thyself reseek'st my love
When hope had fled!
O day all days above,
Be honored!
Who happier lives than I?
Or who shall say

LOVE DETECTED .

Lesbia does nothing else but flout me,
She cannot hold her tongue about me!
Then hang me, but she loves me dearly!
What proof? My own behaviour clearly:
For I attack her just as stoutly,
Yet hang me! her I love devoutly.

Farewell, farewell! From thee
Today, love, must I sever.
One kiss, one kiss give me,
Ere I quit thee forever!

One blossom from yon tree
O give to me, I pray!
No fruit, no fruit for me!
So long I may not stay.

INTRODUCTORY TO " SONGS OF NATURE AND LOVE "

On history's page their names do not shine,
For humble and peaceful were they,
And yet I can see their long, long line
Stretching back through the ages gray.
Yes, here in the ancient iron-rich land
They tilled their fields by the river-strand
And smelted the ore in their day.
Neither thralldom nor pomp could they understand,
But, dwelling each like a king in his house,
They quaffed at their festal carouse.
They kissed their sweethearts in springtime's pride,

Horace . While to thee no other name was nearer,
 Ere a rival youth aspired to fling
Round thy snow-white neck embraces dearer,
 I lived richer than a king.

Lydia . Ere a new flame to thy false heart beckoned,
 When the elder passion seemed divine,
Nor was Lydia yet to Chloë second,
 Roman Ilia's glory paled to mine.

Horace . Now lute-learnèd, skilled in measures tender,
 Thracian Chloë doth my heart enslave,
Life for her I dread not to surrender,
 If the Fates my other soul will save.

He is no lover of the sea
Who loves her never faithlessly,
Who loves her never most and least,
Slavered, fierce, upleaping beast,
Who loves her neither least nor most,
The shrouded girl, the hushing ghost,
Who never loves deceitfully,
He is no lover of the sea.