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!
tua nunc opera meae puellae
flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli.
now on account of your work the swollen little eyes
of my little girl are red from weeping
Phaselus ille, quem videtis, hospites,
That boat, which you see, strangers,
ait fuisse navium celerrimus,
says that it was the fastest of ships
neque ullius natantis impetum trabis
nor (it says) that it was unable to surpass/overcome the attack of any other swimming timber
nequisse praeterire, sive palmulis
opus foret volare sive linteo.
(it says) it unable to pass, or whether there was need
to fly by means of oars or with a sail.
et hoc negat minacis Hadriatici
negare litus insulasve Cycladas
and it (the ship) denies that the shore of the threatening Adriatic denies this, or the Cyclades islands
Rhodumque nobilem horridamque Thraciam
Propontida trucemve Ponticum sinum,
and noble Rhodes, rough Thracian
Propontis or the wild Black Sea
ubi iste post phaselus antea fuit
comata silva;
where that later a small boat was before
a leafy forest;
nam Cytorio in iugo
loquente saepe sibilum edidit coma.
for on a ridge of Mount Cytorus
the foliage often brought forth a rustling.
Amastri Pontica et Cytore buxifer,
Pontic Amastris and boxwood-producing Cytorus
tibi haec fuisse et esse cognitissima
ait phaselus: ultima ex origine
the boat said that these things were and are very well known to you: from the very beginning
tuo stetisse dicit in cacumine,
it said that it stood on your peak,
tuo imbuisse palmulas in aequore,
that it dipped its little oars in your sea,
et inde tot per impotentia freta
erum tulisse, laeva sive dextera
and from there it carried its master though so many wild straits, whether from the left or the right
vocaret aura, sive utrumque Iuppiter
simul secundus incidisset in pedem;
the wind was calling, or favorable Jupiter had fallen onto each foot (sheet);
neque ulla vota litoralibus deis
sibi esse facta, cum veniret a mari
novissimo hunc ad usque limpidum lacum.
And it says that not any vows were made to the gods of the shore for itself
when it was coming from the most recent sea (the Adriatic) all the way to this clear lake.
sed haec prius fuere: nunc recondita
senet quiete seque dedicat tibi,
But these events were earlier: now it grows old in secluded quiet and it dedicates itself to you
gemelle Castor et gemelle Castoris.
You little twin Castor and little twin of Castor.
