To me that man seems like a god in heaven,
seems–may I say it?–greater than all gods are,
who sits by you & without interruption
watches you, listens
to your light laughter, which casts such confusion
onto my senses, Lesbia, that when I
gaze at you merely, all of my well-chosen
words are forgotten
as my tongue thickens & a subtle fire
runs through my body while my ears deafened
by their own ringing & at once my eyes are
covered in darkness!
Leisure, Catullus. More than just a nuisance,
leisure: you riot, overmuch enthusing.
Fabulous cities & their sometime kings have
died of such leisure.
(Gaius Valerius Catullus)
More Poetry from Gaius Valerius Catullus:
Gaius Valerius Catullus Poems based on Topics: God, Laughter, Sense & Perception, Heaven, Listening, Leisure- No. 11 (Gaius Valerius Catullus Poems)
- No. 51 (To Lesbia) (Gaius Valerius Catullus Poems)
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Based on Topics: God Poems, Heaven Poems, Sense & Perception Poems, Laughter Poems, Listening Poems, Leisure PoemsBased on Keywords: lesbia, interruption, well-chosen