8

In this self-addressed poem, Catullus tries to convince himself to move on from Lesbia now that she loves someone else. He reflects on the happier days of their relationship, comparing them to bright suns shining upon him. Afterwards, though, he urges himself to bear his heartbreak with a steadfast spirit. He concludes with a series of questions for Lesbia, all implying that she will never find as great a love as Catullus. Perhaps these queries provide him with renewed courage to endure the emotional fallout from his break-up.

Meter: limping iambics

1  Miser Catulle: vocative sing; Catullus is addressing himself directly (here and in line 19), evoking a reflective element of the poem, in which he reassures himself that he is better off, while Lesbia has to grieve what she lost.

1  dēsinās: “may you stop” + infinitive; second singular hortatory subjunctive (AG 439) (see also dūcās in line 2).

2  quod vidēs perisse: “that which you see has perished”; the entire clause is the direct object of dūcās.

2  dūcās perditum: “may you consider destroyed”;  dūcās is second singular hortatory subjunctive.

3  fulsēre…candidī…sōlēs: “bright suns gleamed”; fulsēre = fulsērunt; candidī…sōlēs is the subject of fulsēre.

4  cum: “when.”

4  ventitābās: “you used to come (repeatedly)”; iterative form of veniēbās.

4  quō: “to where.”

5  amāta nōbīs: “loved by me”; amāta is a perfect passive participle; nōbīs is a dative of agent (AG 374).

5  quantum: “as much as.”

5  amābitur nūlla: “no woman will be loved”; nulla is a nominative feminine singular adjective used substantively (AG 288).

6  illa multa … iocōsa:”those many jolly things”; iocōsa is a nominative neuter plural adjective used substantively.

7  quae: “which”; accusative neuter plural of the relative pronoun; direct object of both volēbās and nōlēbat; antecedent is iocōsa (line 7).

7  nec puella nōlēbat: “nor (which) did the girl not want.”

9  illa nōn vult: “she is unwilling.”

9  impotēns nōlī: “do not want, (although) powerless.”

10  nec…sectāre: “and don’t keep following”; sectāre is the singular imperative of sector, the iterative form of sequor, which reinforces ventitābās (line 4) and the repetitive nature of Catullus’ emotional reaction to the break-up with Lesbia.

10  quae fugit: “(she) who flees”; understand illam or eam as the antecedent of quae.

11  obstinātā mente: “with a stubborn mind”; ablative singular.

11  perfer: “endure”; singular imperative of perferō.

13  nec tē requīret: “neither will he seek you”; Catullus is the implied subject of requīret.

13  nec rogābit invītam: “nor will he ask for (you) unwilling”; invītam modifies tē earlier in the line.

14  cum rogāberis: “when you will be asked (out)”; rogāberis is a second singular future passive.

14  nūlla: “not at all”; adjective functions adverbially.

15  scelesta, vae tē: “wicked one, woe to you”; vae is an exclamation followed by a dative or accusative.

15  quae… vīta: “what life …?”; the first in a series of seven interrogatives.

16  Cui vidēberis bella?: “To whom will you seem pretty?”; vidēberis is another second singular future passive.

17  Quem: “whom…?”; direct object of amābis.

17  Cuius esse dīcēris?: “whose will you be said to be?”; dīcēris is another second singular future passive.

18  Cui labella: “whose lips…?”; cui is a dative of reference (AG 376).