Friday, April 15, 2022

Androgynous Beauty: Codex Vass. 4.430

O godlike face, worthy of Bacchus or Apollo

Which no man or woman can see without succumbing to your charms!

O fingers, the sort that you’d think

Would belong to a boy

Or a girl

Or—even a goddess!

Blessed is the woman who turns your head with her kisses,

Blessed is the woman who makes your lips red with kisses,

Whichever girl that can hold you, cheek-to-cheek

And wear out your tongue with kisses!

--Attributed falsely to Seneca,  Codex Vassiani 4.430

O sacros vultus Baccho vel Apolline dignos,

Quos vir, quos tuto femina nulla videt!

O digitos, quales pueri vel virginis esse

vel potius credas virginis esse dei!

Felix, si qua tuum conrodit femina collum,

Felix, quae labris livida labra facit,

Quaeque puella tuo cum pectore pectora ponit

et linguam tenero lassat in ore suam.

 


  The Codex Vassianus is a manuscript of Latin poetry that preserves poetry from 13th century CE and earlier.   


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