The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/40

Text & Translation Meter - Hendecasyllabic LineLatin TextEnglish Translation 1 Quaenam te mala mens, miselle Ravide, What bad mind, wretched little Ravidus, 2 agit praecipitem in meos iambos? drives you headfirst into my iambs? 3 Quis deus tibi non bene advocatus What god summoned not well 4 vecordem parat excitare rixam? prepares to rouse a demented fight? 5 An ut pervenias in ora vulgi? Or so that you may arrive into the mouths of the common crowd? 6 Quid vis? Qualubet esse notus optas? What do you want? By any means do you wish to be known? 7 Eris, quandoquidem meos amores You will be, since my lover 8 cum longa voluisti amare poena. you wished to love with a long penalty. Connotations of The Text Line 1 Ravidus The rival of Catullus. Line 3 non bene advocatus - not well summoned A slight mistake in invocation may bring down the wrath of the gods Line 7 meos amores - my loves Refers to Juventius, a young boy who Catullus chased for his affections. Homosexual affairs were a normal part of Roman life, and Juventius may have been a freedman or a slave, since it was not proper for a Roman man to have sex outside marriage with another Roman citizen. The use of the plural amores indicates the passion felt for Juventius. Line 8 cum longa ... poena- Catullus predicts his poetry will be everlasting. Vocabulary Line 1 quinam, quaenam, quodnam - what; tell me? mens, mentis f. - mind; reason misellus -a -um - (dim. of miser) poor; wretched Line 2 ago, agere, egi, actum - to drive; urge praeceps, praecipitis (adj.) - headlong; head first iambus, iambi - iamb; metrical foot Line 3 quis (pron.) - what? advoco, advocare - to summon Line 4 Vecors, vecordis - mad; frenzied rixa, rixae - violent quarrel; brawl Line 5 an – or; either pervenio –ire - come to; reach vulgus –i n.- common people Line 6 vis f. – strength; force libet -ere – it pleases optas –are – choose; select; wish; Line 7 quandoquidem – since; seeing that Line 8 volo, velle, volui – to wish; want; prefer External Links Catullus 40 A Translation of Catullus 40 Catullus 40 Another Translation of Catullus 40