The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/43

Text & Translation Meter - Hendecasyllabic LineLatin TextEnglish Translation1salve, nec minimo puella nasoHello, girl without the smallest nose2nec bello pede nec nigris ocellisNor pretty feet nor dark eyes3nec longis digitis nec ore siccoNor elegant fingers nor dry mouth4nec sane nimis elegante linguaNor language in the least refined5decoctoris amica Formiani.Girlfriend of that bankrupt from Formia.6ten provincia narrat esse bellam?So country people call you beautiful?!7tecum Lesbia nostra comparatur?Our Lesbia is compared with you?!8o saeclum insapiens et infacetum!Oh, what a stupid and tasteless age this is! Connotations of The Text This poem is in hendecasyllabic metre. It regards a girl who has been compared in beauty to Catullus's love, "Lesbia". As offensive as it sounds, it can be assumed that it was intended really as a compliment to Lesbia, rather than an insult to the girl adressed. Line 2 nigris ocellis - dark eyes Dark eyes were considered a sign of beauty in Roman times. nec... nec... - nor... nor... This poem uses liberal use of anaphora with phrases containing nec. This emphasises the negativity of the girl from Formia. Line 5 Formia Formia was a city not far from Rome. It could also be a subtle reference to the word "formosa" which means beauty. Lines 6-7 provincia - country people There is an air of snobbery here, sneering at country people who Catullus deems to be ignorant of what real beauty is. ...bellam? ....comparatur? Ending these two lines with forceful questions shows the reader the passion that Catullus feels and clearly indicates his view on such a thing. Line 8 insapiens et infacetum - stupid and tasteless The alliteration here emphasises his disgust at girls that people will label as 'beautiful' in the countryside. Sources Oxford Latin Reader Maurice Balme and James Morwood (1997) External Links Catullus 43 A Translation of Catullus 43 Catullus 43 Another Translation of Catullus 43