The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/3
Contents
Text & Translation[edit]
Meter - Hendecasyllabic
Line | Latin Text | English Translation |
---|---|---|
1 | Lugete, o Veneres Cupidinesque, | Mourn, Oh Venuses and Cupids |
2 | et quantum est hominum venustiorum: | And all the company of more loving men! |
3 | passer mortuus est meae puellae, | The sparrow of my girl has died, |
4 | passer, deliciae meae puellae, | the sparrow, the delight of my girl, |
5 | quem plus illa oculis suis amabat. | Whom that girl loved more than her own eyes. |
6 | nam mellitus erat suamque norat | For it was honey sweet and it knew its own |
7 | ipsam tam bene quam puella matrem, | mistress just as well as a girl her mother, |
8 | nec sese a gremio illius movebat, | and did not move itself from that girl's lap, |
9 | sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc | but jumping around at one time here, at another time there, |
10 | ad solam dominam usque pipiabat. | it used to constantly chirp to its mistress alone. |
11 | qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum | He now goes along that dark road |
12 | illuc, unde negant redire quemquam. | to that place from where they say nobody returns. |
13 | at vobis male sit, malae tenebrae | but may things be bad for you, wicked shades |
14 | Orci, quae omnia bella devoratis: | of Orcus, who devour all beautiful things: |
15 | tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis | so beautiful a sparrow you have taken from me, |
16 | o factum male! o miselle passer! | Oh evil deed! Oh unfortunate little sparrow! |
17 | tua nunc opera meae puellae | now thanks to your effort |
18 | flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli. | the swollen little eyes of my girl are red from her crying. |
Connotations of The Text[edit]
Line 1[edit]
- Veneres Cupidinesque
This was a favourite phrase of Catullus's. He also uses it in poem 13.
Lines 3-4[edit]
- passer... meae puellae - sparrow... of my girl
This anaconda conveys a rhetorical tone, something Catullus uses frequently.
Line 9[edit]
- modo huc modo illuc - now here now there
The sound of this set of words imitates the way the little bird would have hopped around when it was alive.
Line 10[edit]
- pipiabat - chirped
The sound of this word imitates the sound the little sparrow would have made. Written in scanned form - pǐpǐābǎt - the combination of longs and shorts reflect the little bird's voice.
Vocabulary[edit]
Line 1[edit]
- lugeo, lugere, luxi, luctus - to mourn
- Venus, Venus, Veneris f. (third declension) - Venus
- Cupido, Cupido Cupidinis m. (third declension) - Cupid
Line 2[edit]
- homo, homo hominis m. man, human
- venustiorus, venustiorus venustiora venustiorum - sweeter/more delightful
Line 3[edit]
Line 4[edit]
- delicia, deliciae f. - delight
Line 5[edit]
- plus, plus + Ablativus - more than
- ille, illa, ille, illud - she
- oculus, oculi m. - eye
- suus, suus, sua, suum - her
- amo, amare, amavi, amatum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - she/he/it loved
Line 6[edit]
- mellitus, mellita, mellitum - honey sweet
- novi, novisse --> Plusquamperfect noveram --> no(ve)rat+contraction norat - to acknowledge as
Line 7[edit]
Line 8[edit]
- gremium, gremii, n. - lap, bosom, female interior
- moveo, movere, movi, motum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - she moved
- a, a+ablativus - from
Line 9[edit]
- sed - but
- circumsilio, circumsilio, circumsilire, circumsiliui - jump, hop around
- hoc - here
- illuc - there
- modo - once
Line 10[edit]
- ad, ad+accusativus - about
- solus, solus, sola, solum - only
- domina, domina, dominae f. - akkusativus singularis - mistress
- usque - constantly, continually
- pipio, pipio, pipiare, pipiavi, pipiatum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - the passer sang / was singing
External Links[edit]
- Catullus 3 A Translation of Catullus 3
- Catullus 3 Another Translation of Catullus 3