Ready For Ap Catullus? Poems 1-31

Front 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

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Catullus 1 - To whom do I dedicate this charming slim volume,
just now polished with dry pumice stone?
For you Cornellius, for you were accustomed to think
that my scribblings were something.
When already at the same time, you alone
dared to unfold the whole age of Italians in three scrolls,
learned, by Jupiter,and weighty!
For that reason have for yourself whatever this little book is,
and whatever you like, oh patron maiden,
let it last for more than one longlasting generation.

Front 2

Passer, deliciae meae puellae
quicum ludere, quem in sinu tenere
cui primum digitum dare appetenti
et acris solet incitare morsus,
cum desiderio meo nitenti
carum nescio quid lubet iocari,

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Catullus 2 Sparrow, favorite of my girl,
with whom she is accustomed to play, whom she is accustomed to hold in her lap,
for whom, seeking greedily, she is accustomed to give her index finger
and to provoke sharp bites.
When it is pleasing for my shining desire
to make some kind of joke
and a relief of her grief.
I believe, so that her heavy passion may become quiet.
If only I were able to play with you yourself, and
to lighten the sad cares of your mind.

Front 3

Lugete, o Veneres Cupidinesque,
et quantum est hominum venustiorum:
passer mortuus est meae puellae,
passer, deliciae meae puellae,
quem plus illa oculis suis amabat
nam mellitus erat suamque norat
ipsam tam bene quam puella matrem,
nec sese a gremio illius movebat,
sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc
ad solam dominam usque pipiabat;.

Back 3

Catullus 3Mourn, oh Cupids and Venuses,
and whatever there is of rather pleasing men:
the sparrow of my girlfriend has died,
the sparrow, delight of my girl,
whom she loved more than her own eyes.
For it was honey-sweet and it had known its
mistress as well as a girl knew her mother,
nor did it move itself from her lap,
but jumping around now here now there
he used to chirp continually to his mistress alone:
who now goes through that gloomy journey
from whence they denied anyone returns.
But may it go badly for you, bad darkness
of Orcus, you who devour all beautiful things:
and so beautiful a bird you taken away from me
o bad deed! o miserable sparrow!
Now on account of your work my girl's
slightly swollen little eyes are red from weeping.

Front 4

Phaselus ille, quem videtis, hospites,
ait fuisse navium celerrimus,
neque ullius natantis impetum trabis
nequisse praeterire, sive palmulis
opus foret volare sive linteo.....................................15.5
et hoc negat minacis Hadriatici
negare litus insulasve Cycladas
Rhodumque nobilem horridamque Thraciam
Propontida trucemve Ponticum sinum,

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Catullus 4That boat that you see guests
says that it is the fastest of ships
it was able to surpass the speed of any other boat
or if there was a need
for an oar or sail to fly
And the boat denies that the shore of the threatning
Adriatic denies this, or the cyclades islands
the famous island of Rhodus, wild Thracian
rough sea of Marmara, Pontus bay
where it later a small boat was previously
the woods having much foliage; for in the Cytorian ridge
with its whistiling leaves often produce whistling
Pontiac Amastris and box bearing Cytorus
the boat said that these things have been
well known to you from its earliest days
he said that he stood on top
you have dipped oars into your sea
and then, to have carried his master
through so many raging seas, whether a breeze was
calling from the left or from the right
or if at the same time a favorable breeze fell upon each foot
and he says neither any prayers to the Gods of the shore
was done by him, when the boat was coming
from the newest sea all the way to the clear lake
But these events came earlier; now you are old
in a hidden rest and dedicates itself to you
the twin Castor and twin of Castor.

Front 5

Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,...............................5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.

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Catullus 5Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love,
and let us judge all the rumors of the old men
to be worth just one penny!
The suns are able to fall and rise:
When that brief light has fallen for us,
we must sleep a never ending night.
Give me a thousand kisses, then another hundred,
then another thousand, then a second hundred,
then yet another thousand more, then another hundred.
Then, when we have made many thousands,
we will mix them all up so that we don't know,
and so that no one can be jealous of us when he finds out
how many kisses we have shared.

Front 6

Quaeris, quot mihi basiationes
tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque.
quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae
lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis
oraclum Iovis inter aestuosi............................5
et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum;

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Catullus 7You ask, my Lesbia, how many of your kisses
are enough and more than enough for me.
As big a number as the Libyan grains of sand
that lie at silphium producing Cyrene
between the oracle of Sultry Jupiter
and the sacred tomb of old Battus;
Or as many stars that see the secret love affairs of men,
when the night is silent.
So many kisses are enough
and more than enough for mad Catullus to kiss you,
these kisses which neither the inquisitive are able to count
nor an evil tongue bewitch.

Front 7

Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,
et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,
cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat
amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.............................5
ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant
quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat,
fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.

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Catullus 8Poor Catullus, you must stop being silly,
and count as lost what you see is lost.
Once the sun shone bright for you,
when you would go whither your sweetheart led,
she who was loved by me as none will ever be loved.
Then there took place those many jolly scenes
which you desired nor did your sweetheart not desire.
Truly the sun shone bright for you.
Now she desires no more: do you too, weakling, not desire;
and do not chase her who flees, nor live in unhappiness,
but harden your heart, endure and stand fast.
Goodbye, sweetheart. Catullus now stands fast:
he will not look for you or court you against your will.
But you will be sorry when you are not courted at all.
Wretch, pity on you! What life lies in store for you!
Who will come to you now? Who will think you pretty?
Whom will you love now? Who will people say you are?
Whom will you kiss? Whose lips will you bite?
But you, Catullus, be resolute and stand fast.

Front 8

Varus me meus ad suos amores
visum duxerat e foro otiosum,
scortillum, ut mihi tum repente visum est,
non sane illepidum neque invenustum.
huc ut venimus, incidere nobis....................................5
sermones varii, in quibus, quid esset
iam Bithynia, quo modo se haberet,
et quonam mihi profuisset aere.

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Catullus 10My Varus lead me at leisure
from the forum to see his girlfriend
little whore, as it was them seen by me immediately
she is not very uncharming neither is she unattractive.
As we came there, several conversations fell
upon us: among which what now
Bithynia was; how it was holding itself;
and with what money had it profited me.
I responded that which was none, neither for the natives of Bithynia
nor for their governers not for their staff,
with which anyone could have a more richly combed head of hair
especially when those whose governer was a shithead
who also didn't value his staff worth a hair
"But certainly however" they said "that which is said
is the custom there to be born, you obtained
men for a litter" I, like one lucky fellow
in the eyes of the girl said
"It was not so bad for me,
although, a bad province fell to me,
that I was not able to prepare 8 strong men."
But for me no one was in the place nor there,
who could put the broken legs of an old cot
on his neck.
At this point, as it was appropriate for the shameless one,
"I ask you please" she said "for me, my Catullus for a little while
lend me those litter bearers, for I wish
for them to carry me to the temple of Serapis.
"Wait," I say to the girl,
"what which I had said good judgement
must have escaped me
Cinna Gaius prepared it - but whether
the litter bearers belong to me or to you?
Use as well as if I had prepared them for myself.
But you without salt are bad and bothersome,
through that it is not permitted to be careless!"

Front 9

Furi et Aureli, comites Catulli,
sive in extremos penetrabit Indos,
litus ut longe resonante Eoa
..........tunditur unda,

sive in Hyrcanos Arabasve molles,..................5
seu Sagas sagittiferosve Parthos,
sive quae septemgeminus colorat
..........aequora Nilus,

Back 9

Catullus 11Furius and Aurelius, companions of Catullus,
whether he penetrates the furthest of the Indies,
or the shore where the beating of the eastern
waves resonates far and wide,

whether he penetrates into the Hyrcanos or the gentle Arabs,
or the arrow-carrying Parthians,
or the seven fold Nile which
which colors the plains,

whether he will go across the great Alps,
intending to see the great monument to Caesar,
or the Gallic Rhine or the horribly dis-
tant Britain,

you who are prepared to try all these things,
and whatever else the will of the gods will bring,
announce to my girl a few
nasty words.

Let her live and let her flourish with her adulterers,
whom having embraced 300 of them at the same time, she owns and keeps them,
truly loving none of them, but repeatedly breaking the groins of
all of them;

nor, let her respect my love as she did before,
which by her fault, has fallen,
just like the farthest flower of the field
has been killed by a passing plow.

Front 10

Marrucine Asini, manu sinistra
non belle uteris, in ioco atque vino,
tollis lintea neglegentiorum.
hoc salsum esse putas? fugit te, inepte:
quamvis sordida res et invenusta est...................5
non credis mihi? crede Pollioni
fratri, qui tua furta vel talento
mutari velit: est enim leporum
differtus puer ac facetiarum.
quare aut hendecasyllabos trecentos.................10
exspecta, aut mihi linteum remitte,
quod me non movet aestimatione,
verum est mnemosynum mei sodalis.
nam sudaria Saetaba ex Hiberis
miserunt mihi muneri Fabullus...........................15
et Veranius: haec amem necesse est
ut Veraniolum meum et Fabullum.

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Catullus 12Asinius Marrucinus, left hand
You do not use well: in joke and wine
You lift the napkins of the more careless.
Do you think that this is witty? It escapes you, foolish man
This thing is utterly sordid and unattractive.
Do you not believe me? Believe you brother Pollio
Who would wish that your acts of stealing
Be changed for even a talent - for the boy
Is full of charm and wit.
Therefore expect either 300 hendecasyllabic verses
Or send back the napkin to me,
Which does not move me by means of price,
But rather it is a souvenir of my friend.
For Fabullus and Veranius sent Saetaban napkins
From the Spaniards to me as a gift;
It is necessary that I love these things
As I love my little Veranius and Fabullus.

Front 11

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...................5
haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,
cenabis bene; nam tui Catulli
plenus sacculus est aranearum.
sed contra accipies meros amores
seu quid suavius elegantiusve est:.....................10
nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae
donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque,
quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,
totum et te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.

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Catullus 13You will dine well with me, my Fabullus, in a few days,
if the gods favor you, if you bring with you a good and large dinner,
not without a dazzling girl and wine and wit and all your loud laughter.
If you bring these things, I say, our charming one,
you will eat well; for the wallet of your Catullus is full of cobwebs.
But in return, you receive pure loves of anything that is more sweet or elegant:
for I will give you perfume, which the Venuses and Cupids gave to my girl,
which, when you smell it, you will ask the gods,
Fabullus, to make all of you a nose.

Front 12

NI te plus oculis meis amarem,
iucundissime Calue, munere isto
odissem te odio Vatiniano:
nam quid feci ego quidue sum locutus,
cur me tot male perderes poetis?
isti di mala multa dent clienti,
qui tantum tibi misit impiorum.
quod si, ut suspicor, hoc nouum ac repertum
munus dat tibi Sulla litterator,
non est mi male, sed bene ac beate,

Back 12

Catullus 14Although I adored you more than my eyes,
most delightful Calvus, because of that gift
I had hated you with Vatinian* hatred:
for what did I do or what did I say,
why do you ruin me with so many bad poets?
May the gods pile many adversities on that client,
who sent to you such a pack of sinners.
But if, as I do suspect, this new and choice
gift does Sulla the schoolmaster give you,
I am not upset, but rather well pleased,
since your labors haven't been wasted **.
Great gods above, that horrible and cursed little book!
Surely you sent it to your Catullus,
so that he might die, again and again, on that day,
during the Saturnalia too, the best of days!
It won't end like this for you, oh no, my clever one.
For, if there is light, to the booksellers'
shelves will I dash, and Caesius, Aquinus,
Suffenus, the entire poisonous collection:
I will repay you with these punishments.
You bad poets, meanwhile, farewell, get out of here,
go to that place, from where you got your bad feet.
Curses of our time, very bad poets.

Front 13

Suffenus iste, Vare, quem probe nosti,
homo est venustus et dicax et urbanus,
idemque longe plurimos facit versus.
puto esse ego illi milia aut decem aut plura
perscripta, nec sic ut fit in palimpseston.............................5
relata: cartae regiae, novi libri,
novi umbilici, lora rubra membranae,
derecta plumbo et pumice omnia aequata

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Catullus 22That Suffenus, Varius, whom you know well,
That man is charming, and witty, and sophisticated,
And the same man makes the most by far very many verses of poetry.
I think that either 10,000 or more verses
Have been written by that man, as is common in palimpsest
Having been jotted down there are: royal papers (expensive papyri), new books,
New knobs, red straps, scroll covers,
All things having been ruled with lead and smoothed by pumice.
When you read this, that good and sophisticated
Suffenus merely a goatherder or a ditchdigger
On the contrary seems: he differs and changes so much.
What are we to think that this is? He who recently seemed a clever man
Or if anything is more clever than this thing
That same man is more witless than the dull countryside,
As soon as he has undertaken a poem, nor is that same man
Ever equally as happy as when he writes the poem:
So much he rejoices in himself and so much he himself admires at himself
Clearly we are all deceived in the same way, nor is there anyone
Whom you could see not to be Suffenus in some thing.
To each one of us one's own mistakes have been assigned;
but we do not see the knapsack which is on our back.

Front 14

. ad Alphenum
ALFENE immemor atque unanimis false sodalibus,
iam te nil miseret, dure, tui dulcis amiculi?
iam me prodere, iam non dubitas fallere, perfide?
nec facta impia fallacum hominum caelicolis placent.
quae tu neglegis ac me miserum deseris in malis.
eheu quid faciant, dic, homines cuiue habeant fidem?
certe tute iubebas animam tradere, inique, me
inducens in amorem, quasi tuta omnia mi forent.
idem nunc retrahis te ac tua dicta omnia factaque
uentos irrita ferre ac nebulas aereas sinis.
si tu oblitus es, at di meminerunt, meminit Fides,
quae te ut paeniteat postmodo facti faciet tui.

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30Alfenus, thoughtless and deceitful to your congenial pals,
Have you no pity whatsoever, hardheart, for your beloved friend?
Don't you now hesitate to betray me, to mislead me, you rogue?
Nor are the wicked deeds of treacherous men pleasing to the gods.
Like this deed you overlook: deserting me here wretched in my woes.
What are men to do? Alas! Tell me! Or in whom should they place trust?
You, indeed unjust, kept ordering me to entrust my soul,
Leading me on into friendship as if everything were fine.
You, that same person, now withdraw yourself, entrusting to the winds
All of your words, all of your deeds, carried away nebulously.
Even if you choose to forget, mindful are the gods, even Faith,
Who will make damn sure that you regret your deeds afterwards, my friend.

Front 15

Paene insularum, Sirmio, insularumque
ocelle, quascumque in liquentibus stagnis
marique vasto fert uterque Neptunus,
quam te libenter quamque laetus inviso,
vix mi ipse credens Thuniam atque Bithunos.................5
liquisse campos et videre te in tuto.

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31Sirmio, jewel of islands and of peninsulas, Whatever each Neptune carries In the stagnant clear waters and in the vast sea, How gladly and how happy I see you, Scarcely myself believing myself that I have left behind Thynia and the Bithynian fields and that I see you in safety. O what is more blessed than cares freed, When the mind puts down its burden, And we tired from foreign labor come To our hearth and rest in a longed for bed? This is that which is the one thing for such great labors. Greetings, O beautiful Sirmio, and rejoice in your master rejoicing; And you, O Lydian waves of the lake, Laugh whatever there is of laughter at home.