Carmina Gaii Valerii Catulli

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During his lifetime Catullus wrote well over a hundred poems. Here, I have taken six poems of my chosing from his works. I have chosen poems some of which are very well known in the Classical world, and which, I think, demonstrate important and fascinating elements of his style. Along with the original latin text for these poems I have also made notes for the studious reader, and I've added my own translations. NOTE: In these particular translations I have not striven to achieve word by word correspondance for the benefit of the student. Instead I have taken a slightly more liberal approach. I have tried to stay as close to the Latin as possible while also trying not to make the poems sound "muddy."

Poem 85
Poem 1
Poem 5
Poem 13
Poem 58
Poem 7

A short introduction to the poems of Catullus:

Poem 85

Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris?
Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior


NOTES:

LINE 1: a) 'Odi' is the 1st person singular perfect of the defective verb "odi, odisse," and so it is translated as present tense: "I loathe."
b) 'Quare.....requiris' is an indirect question inside what looks like a direct question.

MY TRANSLATION:

I loathe and yet I love. Why I do it, perhaps you inquire?
I know not, but I feel it happening to me, and I am tormented.

This is a dedication to a certain volume of poems written by Catullus, the content of which is known not for sure.

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Poem 1

Cui dono lepidum novum libellum
arida modo pumice expolitum?
Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
meas esse aliquid putare nugas
iam tum, cum ausus es unus Italorum
omne aevum tribus explicare cartis
doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis.
Quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli
qualecumque; quod, [o] patrona virgo,
plus uno maneat perenne saeclo.


NOTES:

LINE 1: a) 'dono' here can be translated as "dedicate."

LINE 2: a) 'modo' - "just (recently)."
b) 'arida modo pumice expolitum' - pumice was used to smooth the ends of the roll of papyrus. ("Catullus - The Poems." Kenneth Quinn. Page 89).

LINE 3: a) 'namque' is simply a more emphatic form of "nam." "For indeed."
b) 'solebas' - This should probably be translated "you are accustomed. Sometimes in letters (and this poem fulfills the same purpose as a letter) the imperfect was used to denote something occurring at the time when the writer was writing the letter - because by the time the recipient recieved the letter the idea would have become one of the past.

LINE 5: a) 'iam tum' - in accordance with "solebas," I would translate this as "alread at this very moment."

LINE 7: a) 'Iuppiter' - for emphasis.

LINE 8: a) 'quare' - "therefore."

LINE 10: a) 'maneat' - jussive subjunctive.

MY TRANSLATION:

To whom do I dedicate this smart, fresh little book,
just now polished with dry pumice?
To you, Cornelius, for indeed it is you
who are accustomed to thinking something of my trifles,
already at this very moment, when you, the only
of the Italians [to do so] have dared to expound all time
in three volumes, learned and damned laborious.
Therefore, have for yourself this litte book,
whatever its worth, and
Oh Protectress Muse,
let it remain lasting for generations more.

A number of Catullus' poems are addressed to or have something to do with his lover whom he calls Lesbia. It is not known for certain who Lesbia was, but most who have studied and speculated upon it say that she was probably Clodia, a woman who held a high position in the upper-class society of Rome in Catullus' day. For more information about Catullus' relationship with Lesbia, see my short biography of Catullus. At the time when this poem was written, their relationship was obviously at a high point as Catullus frantically puts forth several urgent orders for kisses.

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Poem 5

Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis.
Soles occidere et redire possunt:
Nobis, cum semel occidit brevis lux,
Nox est perpetua una dormienda.
Da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
Deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum,
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.


NOTES:

LINE 1: a) 'Vivamus...amemus...aestimemus' - The three main verbs of this sentence are hortatory subjunctives.

LINE 2: a) 'severiorum' - comparative degree, meaning "more critical," therefore "unusually critical."

LINE 3: a) 'unius...assis.' - genitive of indefinite value. This is a very idiomatic way of saying "who gives a #$%@ about what the old guys think?

LINES 5-6: a) 'nobis...dormienda' - the pronoun probably refers to "us mortals," because the verb of the cum clause is perfect, meaning "whenever," or "when" is a very general sense. Catullus says: "The days go on, but you only live once." If the verb were future perfect, then the pronoun could refer to C. and Lesbia.

LINE 10: a) 'cum...fecerimus' - cum temporal clause with future perfect.

LINE 11: a) 'conturbabimus illa' - illa refers to 'basia.' The verb is future but carries the notion of a hortatory subjunctive. The same verb is often used when someone goes bankrupt, and it usually refers to physical amounts of something, such as money, or records of something. So here, it suggests that C. and Lesbia will throw the amount of their kisses into a great confusion, much as one could a pile of stacked coins. ("Catullus - The Poems," Quinn.)
b) 'ne sciamus' - obviously a negative purpose clause. "So that not even we know (how many kisses we've made)."

LINE 12: a) 'invidere' - here, probably "envy"

LINE 13: a) 'cum....sciat' - a causal cum clause, but better translated as temporal.
b) 'tantum' - "so many" + "basiorum".

MY TRANSLATION:

Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love,
Let us discard the jealous mutterings
of unusually critical old men.
Suns can rise and set:
But when our brief light flickers out
once and for all,
we must sleep one everlasting night.
Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred,
then another thousand, then a second hundred,
then a whole other thousand, then a hundred,
then, when we have made many thousands of kisses
we shall throw them into confusion,
so that not even we know their number,
or so that no evil soul can envy us,
when he knows how many kisses we've made.

This poem was probably both a rather sarcastic invitation to dinner and a cynical complaint about being broke. Either way, Catullus' wit and humor stay with us to this day through this poem and others like it.

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Poem 13

Cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me
paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus -
si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam
cenam, non sine candida puella
et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis;
haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,
cenabis bene; nam tui Catulli
plenus sacculus est aranearum.
sed contra accipies meros amores,
seu quid suavius elegantiusque est:
nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae
donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque;
quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,
totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.


NOTES:

LINE 1: a) 'apud' - like the french "chez."

LINE 2: a) "faveo, -ere, favi, fautum" takes the dative.

LINE 5: a) 'sale' - here "wit."
b) 'omnibus cachinnis' - probably something like "all the latest jokes/gossip."

LINE 6: a) 'noster' - probably = "mi." Catullus often used the plural possesive adjective instead of the singular, as did some other poets. More information on this can be found in most any publication of Catullus' life or work.

LINE 8: a) the best translation of this line, by far, is the literal one.

LINE 9: a) 'contra' - "on the other hand..."
b) treat this line liberally.

LINE 12: a) 'donarunt' - a not too uncommon contracted form of "donaverunt."
b) Most would agree - hyperbole.

LINE 14: a) Another place where, I think, nothing but the literal translation would do.

MY TRANSLATION:

You'll eat a good dinner,
my Fabullus,
at my place, pretty soon,
if the gods favor you -
you'll dine well,
my charming Fabullus, I say,
if you bring with you these things:
a nice big meal, not forgetting
a fair girl,
and wine
and wit
and all the latest jokes,
for your Catullus' wallet
is full of cobwebs.
But, on the other hand,
you'll get something really neat,
or if anything is sweeter or more tasteful:
for I shall give you a perfume,
which the goddesses of charm and desire
have given to my girl;
and which, when you smell, you'll ask the gods
to make you into one big nose.

This poem is another member of the "Lesbia" group of poems. It is short and harsh. It carries a sort of conspiratorial, sulking tone, having been written after the bitter end of C.'s relationship with Lesbia. It is cleverly addressed to another of Lesbia's ex-lovers.

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Poem 58

Caeli, Lesbia nostra, Lesbia illa,
illa Lesbia, quam Catullus unam
plus quam se atque suos amavit omnes,
nunc in quadriviis et angiportis
glubit magnanimi Remi nepotes.


NOTES:

LINE 1: a) 'nostra' - Many more educated than I argue that this is another example of Catullus' use of the plural possessive adjective in place of the singular, and that he means "my Lesbia." Still, I remain confident that, since the man whom Catullus calls 'Caelius' is fairly well known to have been anther one of Lesbia's lovers, that Catullus is at least hinting at the idea or actually does mean "our Lesbia."

LINE 3: a) 'suos' - this is sometimes a little confusing to beginning readers, although the use of the possessive adjective like this was often used by many authors to mean one's kin, best friends, subjects...etc.

LINE 4: a) 'in quadriviis et angiportis' - literally, "in the crossroads and alleyways," but figuratively meaning "in broad daylight," or "in plain sight," "very openly," etc.

LINE 5: a) 'glubit magnanimi Remi nepotes.' - this speaks literally of the descendants of the great-souled Remus, who are, of course, simply Roman men of the day. The verb "glubit," here is probably best literally translated as "strips." So the literal translation of this is "strips the descendant of the great-souled Remus." But the quite obvious figurative meaning is that Lesbia is a prostitute.

MY TRANSLATION:

Caelius, our Lesbia, that Lesbia,
that Lesbia whom Catullus loved alone
more than himself
and all his kin,
now, in the crossroads and alleyways (in plain sight),
strips the descendants of great-souled Remus
(sells herself to Roman men, disgracing all.)

This is another poem written while Catullus and Lebsia were still involved, and is probably a companion to Poem 5. Catullus provides several lasting images of infinity to communicate the extent of his love for Lesbia. One is not likely to forget this poem quickly.

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Poem 58

Quaeris, quot mihi basiationes
tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque?
quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae
lasarpiciferis 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.


NOTES:

LINE 1: a) 'satis superque' - a common expression. "enough and [some] to spare."

LINE 4: a) 'lasapiciferis...cyrenis' - one probably ought to supply "in" here.

LINES 5-6 a) 'aestuosi' - as Jove probably would have been in the Libyan desert. ("Catullus - The Poems," Quinn. Page 113.)
b) 'Batti veteris' - Battus was the first king of the city of Cyrene. ("Catullus - The Poems," Quinn. Page 113.)

LINES 7-8 Beautiful.

LINE 12 a) 'lingua' - here "tongue."

MY TRANSLATION:

You ask Lesbia,
how many of your kisses
are enough, and some to spare,
for me?
As grains of sand in the
Libyan dsert lie, in the
asofoetida-bearing district of Cyrene,
among the temple of sweltering Jupiter
and old Battus' sacred tomb,
or as many stars see
the secret love-affairs of men,
when the night bites its tongue -
It is enough and some to spare
for crazy Catullus
that you kiss so many kisses,
which neither can the inquisitive
count,
nor an evil tongue
bewitch.