Catullus 1, 2, 10 Flashcards
Cui dono lepidum novum libellum
To whom do I give my new charming little book
arida modo pumice expolitum?
having been polished recently with a dry pumice stone?
Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
meas esse aliquid putare nugas.
Cornelius, to you: for you were accustomed to think
that my trifles were something.
Iam tum, cum ausus es unus Italorum
Now then, when you alone of the Italians dared
omne aevum tribus explicare cartis . . .
to explain every age by means of three scrolls…
Doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis!
learned, by Jupiter, and laborious!
Quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli—
Therefore have for yourself whatever of a little book,
qualecumque, quod, o patrona virgo,
and whatever you like, oh patron goddess,
plus uno maneat perenne saeclo!
let it last a long time, for more than one generation!
Passer, deliciae meae puellae,
Sparrow, delight of my girl,
quicum ludere, quem in sinu tenere,
with whom she is accustomed to play, whom she is accustomed to hold in her lap,
cui primum digitum dare appetenti
to whom, attacking her, she is accustomed to give her index finger
et acris solet incitare morsus,
and to provoke sharp bites,
cum desiderio meo nitenti
When it pleases the gleaming object of my desire
carum nescio quid lubet iocari
to play some dear joke or other
et solaciolum sui doloris,
and a relief for her grief,
credo ut tum gravis acquiescat ardor:
I believe, so that then her heavy passion subsides:
tecum ludere sicut ipsa possem
would that I were able to play with you just as she herself does
et tristis animi levare curas!
and to lighten the sad cares of your mind!
Varus me meus ad suos amores
visum duxerat e foro otiosum,
My Varus had led me at leisure to his girlfriend
from the forum
scortillum, ut mihi tum repente visum est,
a little tart, as she immediately seemed to me then,
non sane illepidum neque invenustum,
certainly not uncharming nor unattractive,
huc ut venimus, incidere nobis
sermones varii, in quibus, quid esset
When we came to this place, various conversations happened to us, in which
iam Bithynia, quo modo se haberet,
what now Bithynia was; how it was faring,
et quonam mihi profuisset aere.
and with what kind of bronze it had profited (for) me.
respondi id quod erat, nihil neque ipsis
I responded that which was, there was not at all (any reason) for themselves
nec praetoribus esse nec cohorti,
nor for their governors nor for his staff,
cur quisquam caput unctius referret,
why anyone brought back a more oilier head,
praesertim quibus esset irrumator
praetor, nec faceret pili cohortem.
especially for whom there was a SOB/sleazebag/dickhead
governor, nor was he considering his staff worth a hair.
‘at certe tamen,’ inquiunt ‘quod illic
“But certainly however” they said “that which
natum dicitur esse, comparasti
ad lecticam homines.’ ego, ut puellae
unum me facerem beatiorem,
is said is to be born there, you bought
men for a litter.” I, in order to make myself alone, to/for the girl,
more prosperous
‘non’ inquam ‘mihi tam fuit maligne
“It was not so bad for me,” I said,
ut, provincia quod mala incidisset,
“Although a bad province fallen to my lot,
non possem octo homines parare rectos.’
I was not able to buy 8 straight men.”
at mi nullus erat nec hic neque illic
But there was no one neither here nor there,
fractum qui veteris pedem grabati
in collo sibi collocare posset.
who was able to set the broken foot of an old couch
on his neck.
hic illa, ut decuit cinaediorem,
Here she, as befitted someone rather slutty,
‘quaeso’ inquit ‘mihi, mi Catulle, paulum
“Please,” she said “my Catullus, for a little while
istos commoda: nam volo ad Serapim
deferri.’
loan me these guys, for I want to be carried to the temple of Serapis.”
‘mane’ inquii puellae,
“Wait” I said to the girl,
‘istud quod modo dixeram me habere,
“That thing which I had just said that I had,
fugit me ratio: meus sodalis—
reason flees/escapes me: my buddy–
Cinna est Gaius—is sibi paravit.
he is Gaius Cinna– he obtained it for himself.
verum, utrum illius an mei, quid ad me?
but, whether they are his or mine, what is it to me?
utor tam bene quam mihi pararim.
I use them as well as if I bought them for myself
sed tu insulsa male et molesta vivis,
but you live very tastelessly and annoyingly,
per quam non licet esse neglegentem.’
for whom it is not permitted to be careless.”
