The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/43

Text & Translation

Line	Latin Text	English Translation
1	salve, nec minimo puella naso	Hello, girl without the smallest nose
2	nec bello pede nec nigris ocellis	Nor pretty feet nor dark eyes
3	nec longis digitis nec ore sicco	Nor elegant fingers nor dry mouth
4	nec sane nimis elegante lingua	Nor language in the least refined
5	decoctoris amica Formiani.	Girlfriend of that bankrupt from Formia.
6	ten provincia narrat esse bellam?	So country people call you beautiful?!
7	tecum Lesbia nostra comparatur?	Our Lesbia is compared with you?!
8	o 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