< The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus
Text & Translation
Meter - Hendecasyllabic
| Line | Latin Text | English 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
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
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
This article is issued from Wikibooks. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.