2a

Upon admiring the close bond between Lesbia and her pet sparrow, Catullus dedicates this poem to her bird and observes how this pet offers such delight and comfort to his love. In the final verses, Catullus wishes that he too could play with the sparrow and unburden the cares that are plaguing his mind.  Although the most obscene readings of the poem (some of which date back to the late 1400s) have largely been rejected, Catullus certainly invokes a tenderness towards and longing for Lesbia. 

Meter: Hendecasyllabics.

1: Passer: “sparrow” or “blue thrush”; vocative singular (note the tēcum in line 9). dēliciae: “delight, darling”; irregular noun with a plural form and a singular meaning.

2: quīcum: “with whom”; archaic alternative form of quōcum = cum quō. quem: “whom”; direct object (accusative singular) of tenēre. in sinū: “in her lap” or “in a fold (of her garment).”

3: cui…appetentī: “to whom pecking”; dative singular; appetentī is a present active participle. prīmum digitum: “finger tip.”

4: ācrīs… morsūs: “sharp bites”; accusative plural (ācrīs = ācrēs). solet: “(she) is accustomed (to)” + infinitive (lūdere, tenēre, dare, incitāre); understand Lesbia as subject. 

5: cum: “when” or “whenever” (AG §542). dēsīderiō meō nitentī: “for my shining desire”; dative singular after lubet; the phrase likely refers to Lesbia; Thomson understands dēsīderiō meō as an ablative and translates the phrase as “to (her) radiant with desire for me.”

6: cārum nescio quid: “I don’t know what dear thing”; the entire expression is the object of iocārī (‘to joke I don't know what dear thing” or “to make some dear joke”). lubet: “it is pleasing” + dative; impersonal verb (AG §455).

7: et sōlāciolum suī dolōris: “a solace for her pain”; scholars like Thomson read ut (“as”) for et and see the phrase as an aside or parenthetical comment; others take it as a second object of iocārī.

8: ut tum gravis acquiēscat ārdor: “so that then her serious passion may subside”; purpose clause (AG §531.1). 

9: tēcum: = cum tē; “with you.” sīcut ipsa: “as she herself (does).” possem: “If only I could” or “I wish I could” + infinitive; optative subjunctive; Catullus wishes that he could play with the sparrow as Lesbia does and lighten the cares of his spirit (AG §441). 

10. trīstīs…curas: “sad concerns”;  accusative plural (trīstīs = trīstēs).