Catullus # 25
Thallus, you lech: softer than fur of rabbit,
down of goose, flap of ear: your cock and sack of nuts
that dangle from your old man crotch, festooned
with cobwebs, and still you’re as greedy as a gale
[line missing here]
give back the things you stole from me —
my cape, handkerchief from Spain, eye of newt,
etchings from Carthage, tooth of whale —
things you claim you inherited from your folks.
Spare me your obnoxious jokes.
Enough! Get your sticky hands off my stuff,
and send them to me, or I swear I’ll kick your ass
and make you twist like a toy battleship
in the bathtub when a hurricane hits the sea.
— trans.Molly Arden
August 9, 2009