The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/9

Text And Translation

Meter - Hendecasyllabic

Line	Latin Text	English Translation
1	Verani, omnibus e meis amicis	Veranius, surpassing all of my friends
2	antistans mihi millibus trecentis,	in my eyes by three hundred thousand times
3	venistine domum ad tuos penates	have you come to your home, household gods,
4	fratresque unanimos anumque matrem?	loving brothers, and old mother?
5	Venisti. O mihi nuntii beati!	You have come! O blissful news for me!
6	Visam te incolumem audiamque Hiberum	Will I see you unharmed and will hear you
7	narrantem loca, facta, nationes,	telling of the places, deeds and tribes of the Spanish
8	ut mos est tuus applicansque collum	as is your custom, and drawing your pleasant neck close
9	iucundum os oculosque suaviabor?	will I kiss your eyes and mouth?
10	O quantum est hominum beatiorem,	O what number is there of happy men
11	quid me laetius est beatiusvne?	that is happier or more blissful than I?

Connotations of the Text

Note the two tricolon crescendos in this poem; "your household gods...old mother" and "places...tribes" - these are particularly Alexandrian aspects of Catullus' poetry. This poem also expresses Catullus' Epicurean ideal through his friendship with Veranius.

Line 1

• Verani

Veranius was a friend of Catullus's who had just returned from serving with the governor of Spain.

External Links

• Catullus 9 Translation of Catullus 9