Martial, : the twelve books of Epigrams,.

MARTIAL'S EPIGRAMS

And with like skill is the fair metal dight,
Round as the moon in full refulgent light.
A goat stands out arrayed in fleece of gold,
Such as fair Helle might have loved of old;
E'en a Cinyphian shearer would repine
To shear his coat, and Bacchus give his vine.
A golden love two-winged across him strides,
And blithely pipes as on his back he rides,
E'en as a dolphin once Arion bore,
A vocal burden, to the further shore.
No menial slave must fill this bowl with wine;
Cestus, the hand that bears it must be thine.
Pour thou the nectar, gracious one; for see
Both goat and god are fain to drink with me:
And let the giver's name its letters lend
ISTANTI RUFI to the cups you blend.
If Telethusa comes at this, love's hour,
I'll keep myself for her and drink but four:
If she is doubtful, then I'll toss off seven:
But if she comes not, I'll have all eleven.
* LII
THE LONG TASK
I LENT my friend Rufus my barber, a boy
As skilful as Thalamus, once Nero's toy,
Who did the imperial family shave;
For my friend said he wished just one clipping to have.
So the lad at his bidding cut off every hair,
Rufus, mirror in hand, seeing that he took care;
And when he had finished with infinite pain,
Was ordered to do it all over again.
Indeed, that one head he so many times sheared,
That when he came back he himself had a beard.
* LIII
TO CATULLA
FAIREST of beauties, now or long ago;
Vilest of wantons, long ago or now;
How oft I've wished, when I held you embraced,
You were less beautiful or else more chaste.
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