The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus, by Catullus : viiii.

viiii.

Verani, omnibus e meis amicis

Antistans mihi milibus trecentis,

Venistine domum ad tuos Penates

Fratresque unanimos anumque matrem?

Venisti. o mihi nuntii beati! 5

Visam te incolumem audiamque Hiberum

Narrantem loca, facta, nationes,

Vt mos est tuus, adplicansque collum

Iocundum os oculosque suaviabor.

O quantumst hominum beatiorum, 10

Quid me laetius est beatiusve?

viiii.

To Veranius Returned from Travel.

Veranius! over every friend of me

Forestanding, owned I hundred thousands three,

Home to Penates and to single-soul’d

Brethren, returned art thou and mother old?

Yes, thou art come. Oh, winsome news come well! 5

Now shall I see thee, safely hear thee tell

Of sites Iberian, deeds and nations ‘spied,

(As be thy wont) and neck-a-neck applied

I’ll greet with kisses thy glad lips and eyne.

Oh! Of all mortal men beatified 10

Whose joy and gladness greater be than mine?

Veranius, of all my friends standing in the front, owned I three hundred thousands of them, hast thou come home to thy Penates, thy longing brothers and thine aged mother? Thou hast come back. O joyful news to me! I may see thee safe and sound, and may hear thee speak of regions, deeds, and peoples Iberian, as is thy manner; and reclining o’er thy neck shall kiss thy jocund mouth and eyes. O all ye blissfullest of men, who more gladsome or more blissful is than I am?