The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/3

Text & Translation Meter - Hendecasyllabic LineLatin TextEnglish Translation 1 Lugete, o Veneres Cupidinesque, Mourn, Oh Venuses and Cupids 2 et quantum est hominum venustiorum: And all men of finer feeling 3 passer mortuus est meae puellae, The sparrow of my girl has died, 4 passer, deliciae meae puellae, the sparrow, my lady's pet 5 quem plus illa oculis suis amabat. Whom she 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,nor would it move from her lap 9 sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc but hopping around from here, to there 10 ad solam dominam usque pipiabat. it used to constantly chirp to its mistress alone. 11 qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum it now goes through the dark journey 12 illuc, unde negant redire quemquam. to that place from where they deny that anyone returns 13 at vobis male sit, malae tenebrae but curse on you, evil shadows 14 Orci, quae omnia bella devoratis: of hell , who devour all beautiful things: 15 tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis you have taken such a beautiful sparrow from me 16 o factum male! o miselle passer! Oh what evil deeds! Oh unfortunate little sparrow! 17 tua nunc opera meae puellae now, because of you, 18 flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli. my girlfriends' little eyes are swollen red from weeping Connotations of The Text Line 1 Veneres Cupidinesque This was a favourite phrase of Catullus's. He also uses it in poem 13. Lines 3-4 passer... meae puellae - sparrow... of my girl This anaconda conveys a rhetorical tone, something Catullus uses frequently. Line 9 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 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 Line 1 lugeo, lugere, luxi, luctus - to mourn Venus, Venus, Veneris f. (third declension) - Venus Cupido, Cupido Cupidinis m. (third declension) - Cupid Line 2 homo, homo hominis m. man, human venustiorus, venustiorus venustiora venustiorum - sweeter/more delightful Line 3 passer, passeris, m. - sparrow meus, mea, meum - my puella, puella, puellae f. - girl Line 4 delicia, deliciae f. - delight Line 5 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 mellitus, mellita, mellitum - honey sweet novi, novisse --> Plusquamperfect noveram --> no(ve)rat+contraction norat - to acknowledge as Line 7 tam - so bene - well mater, matris f. - matrem -> accusativus singularis - mother Line 8 gremium, gremii, n. - lap, bosom, female interior moveo, movere, movi, motum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - she moved a, a+ablativus - from Line 9 sed - but circumsilio, circumsilio, circumsilire, circumsiliui - jump, hop around hoc - here illuc - there modo - once Line 10 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 Catullus 3 A Translation of Catullus 3 Catullus 3 Another Translation of Catullus 3