by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE)
Translation by Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745)
Lesbia railing
Language: English after the Latin
Lesbia forever on me rails.
To talk of me, she never fails.
Now, hang me, but for all her art,
I find that I have gained her heart.
My proof is this: I plainly see
The case is just the same with me;
I curse her every hour sincerely,
Yet, hang me, but I love her dearly.
Text Authorship:
- by Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745), "Lesbia railing" [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Latin by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 92
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "Lesbia railing", 1939 [ baritone and piano ], Recital Publ. [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-02-15
Line count: 8
Word count: 57