Sed tuus altus amor barathrō fuit altior illō,
quī tamen indomitam ferre iugum docuit.
Nam nec tam cārum cōnfectō aetāte parentī
ūna caput sērī nāta nepōtis alit, 120
quī cum dīvitiīs vix tandem inventus avītīs
nōmen testātās intulit in tabulās,
impia dērīsī gentīlis gaudia tollēns,
suscitat ā cānō volturium capitī:
nec tantum niveō gāvīsa est ūlla columbō 125
compār, quae multō dīcitur improbius
ōscula mordentī semper dēcerpere rōstrō,
quam quae praecipuē multivola est mulier.
Sed tū hōrum magnōs vīcistī sōla furōrēs,
ut semel es flāvō conciliāta virō. 130
Aut nihil aut paulum cui tum concēdere digna
lūx mea sē nostrum contulit in gremium,
quam circumcursāns hinc illinc saepe Cupīdō
fulgēbat crocinā candidus in tunicā.
Quae tamen etsī ūnō nōn est contenta Catullō, 135
rāra verēcundae fūrta ferēmus erae
nē nimium sīmus stultōrum mōre molestī.
Saepe etiam Iūnō, maxima caelicolum,
coniugis in culpā flagrantem concoquit īram,
nōscēns omnivolī plūrima fūrta Iovis. 140
vocabulary
barathrum –ī n.: pit, chasm, abyss
indomitus –a –um: untamed; indomitable; violent
sērus –a –um: late 120
nāta (gnāta) –ae f.: daughter
nepōs nepōtis m.: grandson, descendant
avītus –a –um: of a grandfather; ancestral
testor –ārī –ātus sum: well-attested; signed in the presence of witnesses
tabula tabulae f.: a flat piece of wood; a wax-coated writing tablet; pl., account books
impius –a –um: wicked, irreligious, without pietas
dērīdeō –rīdēre –rīsī –rīsus: laughable, ridiculous
gentīlis –is m.: a member of the same gens, i.e., a distant relative
suscitō suscitāre suscitāvī suscitātus: rouse, dislodge
cānus –a –um: white, whitened
volturius –iī m.: vulture
niveus –a –um: snowy, white 125
columbus columbī m.: a male or cock pigeon
compar paris f.: wife, mate
improbus –a –um: morally unsound, wicked, flagrant, shameless; wanton
ōsculum –ī n.: kiss
mordeō mordēre momordī morsus: bite
dēcerpō –ere –sī –tus: pluck off, snatch
rōstrum rōstrī n.: the snout or muzzle of an animal; the beak of a bird or ship
praecipuē: peculiarly, especially
multivolus –a –um: promiscuous, lusting after many, amorous
flāvus –a –um: yellow, gold-colored, blonde 130
conciliō conciliāre conciliāvī conciliātus: unite, join; attract, endear, win over, obtain
gremium gremi(ī) n.: lap
circumcursō –āre –āvī –ātum: run around
hinc: from this place or point
illinc: from there
Cupīdō –inis m.: desire; object of desire (as term of affection); Cupid or Eros, companion of Venus/Aphrodite, personification of sexual desire
fulgeō fulgēre fulsī: shine brightly, gleam
crocinus –a –um: made of saffron; saffron yellow
tunica tunicae f.: tunic, a standard garment worn by both sexes
etsī: conj., although 135
contentus –a –um: satisfied
Catullus –ī m.: cognomen of Gaius Valerius Catullus
verēcundus –a –um: scrupulous; modest, honorable, restrained, seemly
fūrtum fūrtī n.: theft; any sneaky act
(h)era –ae f.: a woman in relation to her servants; mistress, i.e., the woman or goddess one serves (as opp. to a kept woman)
nimium (nimiō): too much, very much
stultus –a –um: stupid, foolish
molestus –a –um: troublesome, annoying
Iūnō Iūnōnis f.: Juno, consort of Jupiter, identified with Gk. Hera
caelicola –ae m./f.: an inhabitant of heaven, god or goddess
flagrō flagrāre flagrāvī flagrāturus: burn
concoquō concoquere concōxī concoctus: cook down; digest; tolerate, stomach
omnivolus –a –um: that desires all, all-desiring 140
Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter or Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods; by metonymy, the weather, wind, sky