Ad Lydiam | Lydia, bella puella, candida

by Gaius Cornelius Gallus (70 BCE - 26 BCE)

Ad Lydiam

Language: Latin

Lydia, bella puella, candida, 
  Quæ bene superas lac et lilium,
  Albamque simul rosam rubidam, 
  Aut expolitum ebur Indicum! 

Pande, puella, pande capillulos, 
  Flavos, lucentes ut aurum nitidum.
  Pande, puella, collum candidum,
  Productum bene candidis humeris.

Pande, puella, stellatos oculos,
  Flexaque super nigra cilia.
  Pande, puella, genas roseas,
  Perfusas rubro purpuræ Tyriæ.

Porrige labra, labra corallina;
  Da columbatim mitia basia. 
  Sugis amentis partem animi:
  Cor mihi penetrant hæc tua basia.

Quid mihi sugis vivum sanguinem? 
  Conde papillas, conde gemipomas, 
  Compresse lacte quæ modo pullulant.

Sinus expansa profert cinnama:
  Undique surgunt ex te deliciæ.
  Conde papillas, quæ me sauciant 
  Candore et luxu nivei pectoris.
  Sæva non cernis quantum ego langueo?
  Sic me destituis jam semimortuum?

Confirmed with Poésies de Cornelius Gallus. Traduction nouvelle par M. Jules Genouille, Paris, C. L. F. Panckoucke, 1836, pages 40, 42.

Text Authorship:

by Gaius Cornelius Gallus (70 BCE - 26 BCE), "Ad Lydiam" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

[ None yet in the database ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation possibly by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647 - 1680) ; composed by George Monro.
Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by George Monro.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Charles Isaac Elton, QC) , "To Lydia" [an adaptation]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2019-08-10
Line count: 25
Word count: 113