Carmen 7

You ask how many of your kisses

are enough to satisfy me, my Love.

As great as the number of the sands of Libya

to be found in the African plains

between the torrid oracle of Jove

and the sacred tomb of legendary warriors;

or as many as the stars, which in the silence of night

behold the stealthy loves of man and woman:

Only that many kisses to kiss you with

would be enough to sate love-crazed me,

too many for those men to be able to count

Quaeris, quot mihi basiationes
tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque.
quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae
lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis
oraclum Iovis inter aestuosi
et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum;
aut quam sidera multa, cum tacet nox,
furtivos hominum vident amores:
tam te basia multa basiare
vesano satis et super Catullo est,
quae nec pernumerare curiosi
possint nec mala fascinare lingua.