Phasēlus ille, quem vidētis, hospitēs,
ait fuisse nāvium celerrimus,
neque ūllius natantis impetum trabis
nequīsse praeterīre, sīve palmulīs
opus foret volāre sīve linteō. 5
Et hoc negat minācis Hādriāticī
negāre lītus īnsulāsve Cȳcladas
Rhodumque nōbilem horridamque Thrāciam
Propontida trucemve Ponticum sinum,
ubi iste post phasēlus anteā fuit 10
comāta silva; nam Cytōriō in iugō
loquente saepe sībilum ēdidit comā.
Amastri Pontica et Cytōre buxifer,
tibi haec fuisse et esse cognitissima
ait phasēlus: ultimā ex orīgine 15
tuō stetisse dīcit in cacūmine,
tuō imbuisse palmulās in aequore,
et inde tot per impotentia freta
erum tulisse, laeva sīve dextera
vocāret aura, sīve utrumque Iuppiter
simul secundus incidisset in pedem; 20
neque ūlla vōta lītorālibus deīs
sibi esse facta, cum venīret ā marī
novissimō hunc ad usque limpidum lacum.
Sed haec prius fuēre: nunc reconditā
senet quiēte sēque dēdicat tibī, 25
gemelle Castor et gemelle Castoris.
notes
Catullus honors the ship that carried him back from Bithynia in 56BCE. He had just completed a year’s administrative work there for the governor, C. Memmius (see Poems 10 and 28). Catullus models this poem after a tradition of dedicatory inscriptions that chronicled a worker’s life and commemorated the tools of their labor.
Meter: iambic senarii
1: Phasēlus ille: “that swift passenger ship”; a vessel in the shape of a kidney-bean, named after the Greek φάσηλος (“bean”)
1: hospitēs: “friends” or “strangers”; refers to people one meets on a journey
2: ait: “(it/the ship) says”; introduces indirect statement (AG §583)
2: celerrimus: “the fastest” or the “swiftest”; superlative of celer; Catullus retains the nominative (rather than the accusative celerrimum) in this indirect statement
3: ūllius natantis… trabis: “of any bark swimming (along)”; genitive singular phrase; natantis is present active participle
4: nequīsse praeterīre: “(nor) was (it) unable to surpass”; another indirect statement with an implied subject
4: sīve…sīve: whether…or
4: palmulīs: “with little oar blades”; palmula is the diminutive of palma; used only here and below at line 17
5: opus foret: “there would be a need (to)”; foret is alternate 3rd singular imperfect subjunctive of esse
5: linteō: “(or) with a canvas sail”
6: hoc: “this”; direct object of negāre (line 7)
6: minācis Hādriāticī…lītus: “the shore of the threatening Adriatic”; lītus is the first of 5 accusative subjects of negāre (indirect statement)
7: -ve: or
7: īnsulās Cȳcladas: “Cycladic islands”; group of islands in the Aegean Sea; the list of places in lines 7-9 possibly traces the boat’s journey home from Bithynia; according to the poem, the boat traveled south along the western coast of Asia minor, stopping at Rhodes, proceeding across the Aegean through the Isthmus of Corinth, and then north on the Adriatic to Italy
8: -que: and
8: Rhodum nōbilem: “famous Rhodes”; another island in the Aegean
horridam Thrāciam Propontida: “rough Thracian Propontis”; Propontida refers to the Propontis, the ancient name of the Sea of Marmora between the Black Sea and the Aegean (Garrison)
9: trucem Ponticum sinum: “harsh Pontic bay”; refers to the Black Sea (add note on various meanings of sinus)
10: iste post phasēlus: “that one, later a boat”
10: anteā…comāta silva: “previously a leafy forest”
11: Cytōriō in iugō: “on the Cytorian ridge”; wooded Mt. Cytorus is located on the southern side of the Black Sea
12: loquente…comā: “with its foliage speaking/rustling”; ablative singular
12: sībilum ēdidit: “it uttered a hissing”; sībilum is the direct object of ēdidit
13: Amastri Pontica: “Pontic Amastris”; vocative singular; Amastris was a port city along the southern coast of the Black Sea
13: Cytōre buxifer: “boxtree-bearing Cytorus”; vocative singular; Cytorus is another famous port city, famous for its boxwood
14: tibi haec fuisse et esse cognitissima: “(that) these things have been and are most well-known to you”; indirect statement introduced by ait (line 15); cognitissima is a superlative of cognita; tibi, although singular, refers to Cytorus and Amastris collectively
15: ultimā ex orīgine: “from its earliest origin”
16: stetisse dīcit: “it says that it stood”; the first of three indirect statements introduced by dīcit
17: imbuisse palmulās: “(that) it dipped it oars”; the second of three indirect statements introduced by dīcit (line 16)
18: tot per impotentia freta: “through so many violent seas”
19: erum: “master” or “owner”; direct object of tulisse; could indicate that Catullus was the actual owner of the ship; erum tulisse is the third of three indirect statements introduced by dīcit (line 16)
19: laeva sīve dextera vocāret aura: “whether a left (port) or right (starboard) wind called”
20: utrumque…in pedem: “against each sheet”; refers to the sheets that secure the lower corners of a square sail (Garrison)
20: Iuppiter…secundus: “favorable weather” or “a following wind”; Jupiter is often invoked as a personification of weather
22: neque ūlla vōta … esse facta: “nor (does it say that) any prayers were made”
22: lītorālibus deīs: “to the gods of the shore”; sailors implored these deities for safe passage to the shore
23: sibi: “on its own behalf”; dative of advantage
23: ā marī novissimō: “from the most distant sea”
24: ad usque: “continuously to” or “all the way to”
25: haec prius fuēre: “these things were earlier”; fuēre = fuērunt
25: reconditā…senet quiēte: “it grows old in hidden repose”
26: tibi: “to you”; refers to Castor and Pollux collectively
27: gemelle Castor et gemelle Castoris: Castor and Pollux, the mythological patrons of mariners and sea travelers (literally: “twin Castor and twin of Castor”); vocative singulars; gemelle is the diminutive of gemine
vocabulary
phasēlus –ī m.: a light ship, so-called because of its resemblance to a green bean
natō natāre natāvī natātus: swim; float
trabs trabis f.: tree trunk, timber; by metonymy, boat; penis, "shaft"
nequeō nequīre nequiī/nequīvī nequitum: to be unable (to)
praetereō praeterīre praeterīvī/praeteriī praeteritus: go beyond, pass
palmula –ae f.: the palm of the hand; oar; palm tree or leaf
volō volāre volāvī volātus: fly 5
linteum –ī n.: linen cloth; napkin; sail
mināx –ācis: menacing, threatening
(H)adriāticum –ī n.: Adriatic, as neut, subst., the Adriatic Sea
Cyclades –um f.: an island of the Cyclades; pl. the Cyclades, islands in the Aegean surrounding Delos
Rhodus –ī f.: the island of Rhodes
horridus –a –um: rough, rugged, wild, uncouth, harsh
Thrācia –ae f.: Thrace, the land in southeastern Europe north of the Hellespont
Propontis –idis f.: the Propontis or Sea of Marmora, between the Black Sea and the Aegean
trux trucis: harsh, fierce, cruel, savage
Ponticus –a –um: of or on the Black Sea
anteā: adv. (ante + ea), previously 10
comō –āre –āvī –ātum: be covered with hair or foliage
Cytōrius –a –um: of Cytorus, a mountain in Paphlagonia east of Amastris, part of the coastal ridge along the southern shore of the Black Sea
sibilus –ī m. : any sibilant sound; hissing, whistling
Amastris –is f.: the capital of Paphlagonia
buxifer –era –erum: producing box-trees (the Buxus yields boxwood, a close-grained, heavy, tough hardwood)
cōgnitus –a –um: known; sexually intimate
orīgō –inis f.: origin, beginning 15
cacūmen –inis n.: peak, tip
imbuō –ere –uī –ūtus: drench, steep; dip or wet for the first time; inaugurate, give first experience
impotens –entis: powerless; lacking in self-control, hence headstrong, wild, violent, intemperate
fretum fretī n.: any place where the sea boils up; sea
erus –ī m.: master
laevā: on the left
Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter or Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods; by metonymy, the weather, wind, sky
lītorālis –e: of the shore 21
limpidus –a –um: clear, transparent
lacus lacūs m.: lake
reconditus –a –um: hidden away, secluded
seneō –ēre: to be old 25
quiēs quiētis f.: sleep, repose
dēdicō dēdicāre dēdicāvī dēdicātus: dedicate, consecrate
gemellus –a –um: twin (adj. or subst.)
Castor –oris m.: son of Leda and Tyndareus, twin brother of Pollux; one of a twin constellation used in navigation; patron (with his brother Pollux) of seafarers and ships