The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/8

From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

[edit] Text & Translation

Meter - Limping Iambics

Line Latin Text English Translation
1 Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire, Unhappy Catullus, you should cease to be silly,
2 et quod vides perisse perditum ducas. and that which you see to have died you should consider lost.
3 Fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles, Once bright suns shone for you,
4 cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat when you came often to where the girl was leading,
5 amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla. she having been loved by us to what extent no girl will be loved
6 Ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant, where there those many jokes used to happen,
7 quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat, which you were wanting and that girl was not not wanting,
8 fulsere vere candidi tibi soles. the shining suns shone truly for you.
9 Nunc iam illa non vult: tu quoque impotens noli, now at last she does not want; you also powerless, do not want,
10 nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive, and do not follow she who flees, and do not live unhappy,
11 sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura. but endure by resolute mind, hold out.
12 Vale puella, iam Catullus obdurat, Goodbye girl, now Catullus endures,
13 nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam. and he will not miss you, and he will not ask for you unwilling.
14 At tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla. but you will grieve, when you will not be asked for at all.
15 Scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita? wicked one, woe to you! what life remains for you?
16 Quis nunc te adibit? cui videberis bella? who will come to you now? To whom will you seem pretty?
17 Quem nunc amabis? Cuius esse diceris? whom will you love now? Whose will you be said to be?
18 Quem basiabis? Cui labella mordebis? whom will you kiss? Whose lips will you bite?
19 At tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura. But you, Catullus, be stubborn stand fast

[edit] Connotations of The Text

The use of the metre, limping iambic, has a broken uneven effect, mimicking the dead end of his thoughts.

[edit] Line 1

  • miser - miserable; wretched; unhappy

This is a favourite word of Catullus' usually used to describe himself. It can also be translated as "love-sick" and this translation creates a nearer tone that Catullus intended in the poem. This expression can also be seen in Poem 7.

[edit] Line 4

  • ventitabas - you used to go

The use of the Imperfect Tense shows how Catullus used to go everywhere Lesbia went - making him like Lesbia's shadow.

  • ducebat - where she used to lead

The use of the Imperfect Tense indicates how Lesbia used to be in control of Catullus and she led him around as she pleased.

[edit] Line 9

  • nunc iam - now it has come to this

This phrases emphasises the finality of the relationship and how it has ended once and for all.

[edit] Line 14

  • rogaberis nulla - no-one will ever ask [you out]

Here the poet is trying to convince himself that Lesbia will lose out the most in the end.

[edit] Line 19

  • obdura - endure

The end of the poem finishes with a blunt imperative. This is Catullus trying to snap himself out of his misery.

[edit] Vocabulary

[edit] Line 1

  • miser - miserable; wretched; unhappy; love-sick
  • desino, ere, -sii, -itum - leave off; cease; desist; abandon

[edit] Line 2

  • perdo, -ere, -didi, -ditum - destroy; ruin; lose

[edit] Line 3

  • fulgeo, -ere, fulsi - shine; gleam; glitter; sparkle
  • candidus, -a, -um - white; fair; beautiful
  • soles (pl. of sol) - lit. = suns; rays; beams

[edit] Line 4

  • ventito, ventitare - come often; keep coming

[edit] Line 6

  • ibi (adv.) - there; in that place; then; thereupon
  • fio, fieri, factus sum - to happen; be done; become
  • iocosus, -a, -um - humorous; jokey; light-hearted

[edit] Line 9

  • impotens, -entis (adj.) - weak; feeble; puny

[edit] Line 10

  • sector, sectari, sectatus sum - follow; pursue

[edit] Line 11

  • obstinatus, -a, -um - resolved; resolute; fixed; obstinate

[edit] Line 13

  • invitus, -a, -um - unwilling; reluctant

[edit] Line 14

  • doleo, -ere, dolui, dolitum - feel pain; suffer; grieve

[edit] Line 15

  • vae - woe to; alas

[edit] Line 18

  • mordeo, momordi, morsum - bite

[edit] Line 19

  • destino, -are, -avi, -atum - fasten down; secure; determine; fix

[edit] External Links

Catullus 8 A Translation of Catullus 8

Catullus 8 Another Translation of Catullus 8

Retrieved from "http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/The_Poetry_of_Gaius_Valerius_Catullus/8"