The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/8

Text & Translation Meter - Limping Iambics LineLatin TextEnglish Translation 1 Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire, Miserable Catullus, cease to be a fool, 2 et quod vides perisse perditum ducas. and that which you see to have been lost, may you consider lost. 3 Fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles, Bright suns once shone for you, 4 cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat when you often came to where the girl led you, 5 amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla. a girl loved by us more than any 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 wanted, and she did not deny, 8 fulsere vere candidi tibi soles. truly bright suns shone for you. 9 Nunc iam illa non vult: tu quoque impotens noli, now she does not want; you also, powerless, do not want, 10 nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive, neither follow she who flees, nor live miserably, 11 sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura. but remain firm with a resolute mind, endure. 12 Vale puella, iam Catullus obdurat, Goodbye girl, already Catullus endures, 13 nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam. he will neither miss you, nor will he 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 beautiful? 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, obstinate, endure. Connotations of The Text The use of the metre, limping iambic, has a broken uneven effect, mimicking the dead end of his thoughts. 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. 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. 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. Line 14 rogaberis nulla - you will be asked [out] by none Here the poet is trying to convince himself that Lesbia will lose out the most in the end. Nulla here is acting more as an adverb "not" 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. Vocabulary Line 1 miser - miserable; wretched; unhappy; love-sick desino, ere, -sii, -itum - leave off; cease; desist; abandon ineptio, ineptire - play the fool Line 2 perdo, -ere, -didi, -ditum - destroy; ruin; lose Line 3 fulgeo, -ere, fulsi - shine; gleam; glitter; sparkle candidus, -a, -um - white; fair; beautiful soles (pl. of sol) - lit. = suns; rays; beams Line 4 ventito, ventitare - come often; keep coming 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 Line 9 impotens, -entis (adj.) - weak; feeble; puny Line 10 sector, sectari, sectatus sum - follow; pursue Line 11 obstinatus, -a, -um - resolved; resolute; fixed; obstinate perfero, -re, pertuli, perlatum - carry through; endure Line 13 invitus, -a, -um - unwilling; reluctant Line 14 doleo, -ere, dolui, dolitum - feel pain; suffer; grieve Line 15 vae - woe to; alas Line 18 labellum, -i, n. (dim.) - little lip mordeo, momordi, morsum - bite Line 19 destino, -are, -avi, -atum - fasten down; secure; determine; fix External Links Catullus 8 A Translation of Catullus 8 Catullus 8 Another Translation of Catullus 8