The Latin text reads as follows: ‘quaeris quot mihi basiationes / tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque. / quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae / laserpiciferis 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.’

The English text reads as follows: ‘You ask how many of your super-kisses, / Lesbia, are enough and more than enough for me. / As great as the number of Libyan sands / That lie in silphium-producing Cyrene, / Between the oracle of red-hot Jupiter / And the sacred tomb of ancient Battus, / Or as many as the stars, when night is silent, / That see the furtive love-affairs of men. / That is how many kisses are enough and / More than enough for Catullus to kiss you in his frenzy, / So many that busybodies will neither be able to count them / Nor bewitch them with an evil tongue.’