The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/10
Text and Translation
editMeter - Hendecasyllabic
| Line | Latin Text | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varus me meus ad suos amores | My Varus led me, idle, |
| 2 | visum duxerat e foro otiosum, | out from the forum to see his love, |
| 3 | scortillum (ut mihi tum repente visum est), | a young whore (as it then at once seemed to me) |
| 4 | non sane illepidum neque invenustum; | not too unpleasing, nor too unpretty; |
| 5 | huc ut venimus, incidere nobis | as we came there, there fell upon us |
| 6 | sermones varii, in quibus: quid esset | various conversations, among which: what was |
| 7 | iam Bithynia, quo modo se haberet, | Bithynia now, in what way did it hold itself, |
| 8 | et quonam mihi profuisset aere. | and how much it was of use to me in bronze. |
| 9 | Respondi id quod erat: nihil neque ipsis | I answered that which was: there was no reason--not for they themselves, |
| 10 | nec praetoribus esse nec cohorti, | not for the praetors, not for the cohort-- |
| 11 | cur quisquam caput unctius referret | why anyone might bring back a head more perfumed, |
| 12 | praesertim quibus esset irrumator | especially those who had a jerk |
| 13 | praetor, nec faceret pili cohortem. | as a praetor, who valued his cohort at less than a hair. |
| 14 | "At certe tamen," inquiunt "quod illic | "But still, certainly" they say "that which |
| 15 | natum dicitur esse, comparasti | is said to be native there, you got for yourself |
| 16 | ad lecticam homines." Ego (ut puellae | men for the litter." I (in order that to the girl |
| 17 | unum me facerem beatiorem) | I might make myself out to be one more blessed) |
| 18 | "non" inquam "mihi tam fuit maligne | said "it was not so meanly to me |
| 19 | ut, provincia quod mala incidisset, | that, though the province that fell to me was bad, |
| 20 | non possem octo homines parare rectos." | I was not able to get eight sturdy men." |
| 21 | (At mi nullus erat nec hic neque illic | (But to me there was no man neither here nor there |
| 22 | fractum qui veteris pedem grabati | who might be able to station on his shoulder |
| 23 | in collo sibi collocare posset.) | the broken foot of my old cot.) |
| 24 | Hic illa, ut decuit cinaediorem, | Here that woman, as befitted one more slutty, |
| 25 | "Quaeso," inquit "mihi, mi Catulle, paulum | said "I ask, my Catullus, for you to lend me those men |
| 26 | istos commoda: nam volo ad Serapim | for a little bit: for I'd like to be carried |
| 27 | deferri." "Mane," inquii puellae, | to Serapis." "Wait," I said to the girl, |
| 28 | "istud quod modo dixeram me habere... | "that which I had just said that I had... |
| 29 | fugit me ratio: meus sodalis-- | reason fled me: my buddy, |
| 30 | Cinna est Gaius--is sibi paravit. | it was Cinna--Gaius--he got them for himself. |
| 31 | Verum utrum illius an mei, quid ad me? | Really, though, whether they're his or mine, what's it to me? |
| 32 | Utor tam bene quam mihi pararim. | I use them just as well as if I'd gotten them for myself. |
| 33 | Sed tu insulsa male et molesta vivis, | But you're a badly unwitty and annoying one, |
| 34 | per quam non licet esse neglegentem!" | by whom one is not allowed to be heedless!" |