Catullus 12 Translation

Question 1

1-3
Marrucine Asini, manu sinistra
non belle uteris: in ioco atque vino
tollis lintea neglegentiorum.

Answer 1

Asinius Marrucinus, you do not use your left hand well: in joke and in wine you lift up the napkin of the rather negligent.

Question 2

4-5
hoc salsum esse putas? fugit te, inepte:
quamvis sordida res et invenusta est.

Answer 2

Do you think this is funny? it escapes you, fool; it is an extremely filthy and unattractive thing.

Question 3

6-9
non credis mihi? crede Pollioni
fratri, qui tua furta vel talento
mutari velit—est enim leporum
differtus puer ac facetiarum.

Answer 3

Do you not believe me? Believe your brother, Pollio, who wishes that your theft could be changed for even a talent of gold: for he is a boy full of charm and wit.

Question 4

10-13
quare aut hendecasyllabos trecentos
exspecta, aut mihi linteum remitte,
quod me non movet aestimatione,
verum est mnemosynum mei sodalis.

Answer 4

Therefore, either expect 300 hendecasyllables or return my napkin to me, which moves me not by its value but because it is a souvenir of my friend.

Question 5

14-17
nam sudaria Saetaba ex Hiberis
miserunt mihi muneri Fabullus
et Veranius; haec amem necesse est
ut Veraniolum meum et Fabullum.

Answer 5

For Fabullus and Veranius sent this Saebatan napkin from Spain to me as a gift; it is necessary that I cherish this as much as I cherish my little Veranius and Fabullus.