Original Latin
Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis.
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis, cum semel occidit brevis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum,
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
Literal Translation
Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love,
And let us value all the gossips of the rather strict old men,
As of one copper coin.
Suns are able to go down and comeback:
When the brief light once dies,
One eternal night must be slept through by us.
Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred,
Then another thousand, then a second hundred,
Then continuously another thousand, then a hundred.
Then, when we have had manythousands,
We will mix them up, in order that we may not know,
Or in order that anyone evil may not be able to be envious,
Since he knows that there is so much of kisses.
Translation with Rhyme
Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love—
All the gossip of those strict old men conjoined,
Is of no more value to us than a single copper coin.
The suns can forever set and drop,
Then return to rise above, nonstop
Yet for us, once sets our brief light,
We must sleep through one eternal night.
So, give me a thousand kisses, and a hundred hence.
And another thousand, and a second hundred then.
And yet another thousand, and another hundred again.
And after we have made many thousands of kisses,
We will mix them up, and get lost in this bliss,
So no envious man may cast the evil eye,
When he knows the flame of our love burns so bright.
