Catullus 3 & 4 Flashcards
Lugete, o Veneres Cupidinesque,
Mourn, o Venuses and Cupids,
et quantum est hominum venustiorum:
and how much there is of rather attractive people:
passer mortuus est meae puellae,
the sparrow of my girl is dead/has died,
passer, deliciae meae puellae,
the sparrow, delight of my girl,
quem plus illa oculis suis amabat.
whom she loved/used to love more than her own eyes.
nam mellitus erat suamque norat
ipsam tam bene quam puella matrem,
For it was honey-sweet and he knew his
mistress as well as a girl knows her mother,
nec sese a gremio illius movebat,
nor was it moving itself from her lap,
sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc
but jumping around now here now there
ad solam dominam usque pipiabat.
to its mistress alone it chirped continuously.
qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum
it now goes through to there along a shadowy road
illuc, unde negant redire quemquam.
from where they deny that anyone returns.
at vobis male sit, malae tenebrae
But may it go badly for you, evil shades
Orci, quae omnia bella devoratis:
of Orcus, which all beautiful things you devour:
tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis
so beautiful a sparrow to me you have taken away
o factum male! o miselle passer!
o bad deed! o wretched little sparrow!