pg 307XXVSEPTIMIUS AND ACME

(Catullus, XLV)

[1795–7]

• 1Septimius thus his [    ] love addressed,
• 2His darling Acme in his arms sustained,
• 3"My Acme, may I perish if my breast
• 4Burns not for thee with love to madness strained,
• 5And more—if I am not prepared to give
• 6To thee such earnest love unchanged by time
• 7As any human heart can feel and live,
• 8Then may I roam through Lybia's burning clime
• 9And meet alone the ravenous lion's roar."
• 10He spoke and at the word the God of love,
• 11The God of love, as from the right before,
• 12Sneezed from the left, and did the vow approve.
• 13But Acme, lightly turning back her head,
• 14Kissed with that rosy mouth th' inebriate eyes
• 15Of the sweet youth, and kissed again and said:
• 16"My life, and what far more than life I prize,
• 17So may we to the end of time obey
• 18Love our sole master, as my bosom owns
• 19A flame that with far more resistless sway
• 20Thrills through the very marrow of my bones."
• 21She spoke and Love, as from the right before,
• 22Sneezed from the left hand and the vow approved.
• 23Needing no other omen to implore,
• 24With mutual soul they love and are beloved;
• 25His Acme only does Septimius prize
• 26All Syria and all Britain's wealth above;
• 27And Acme for Septimius only sighs,
• 28And finds in him alone her sole delight and love.
• 29Whoe'er a more auspicious passion saw,
• 30Or any mortals under happier law?