Vārus mē meus ad suōs amōrēs

vīsum dūxerat ē forō ōtiōsum,

scortillum, ut mihi tum repente vīsum est,

nōn sānē illepidum neque invenustum,

hūc ut vēnimus, incidēre nōbīs  5

sermōnēs variī, in quibus, quid esset

iam Bīthȳnia, quō modō sē habēret,

et quōnam mihi prōfuisset aere.

Respondī id quod erat, nihil neque ipsīs

nec praetōribus esse nec cohortī,  10

cūr quisquam caput ūnctius referret,

praesertim quibus esset irrumātor

praetor, nec faceret pilī cohortem.

‘At certē tamen,' inquiunt ‘quod illīc

nātum dīcitur esse, comparāstī  15

ad lectīcam hominēs.' Ego, ut puellae

ūnum mē facerem beātiōrem,

‘nōn' inquam ‘mihi tam fuit malignē

ut, prōvincia quod mala incidisset,

nōn possem octo hominēs parāre rēctōs.'  20

At mī nūllus erat nec hīc neque illīc

frāctum quī veteris pedem grabātī

in collō sibi collocāre posset.

Hīc illa, ut decuit cinaediōrem,

‘quaesō' inquit ‘mihi, mī Catulle, paulum  25

istōs commoda: Nam volō ad Serāpim

dēferrī.' ‘Minime' inquiī puellae,

‘istud quod modo dīxeram mē habēre,

fūgit mē ratiō: meus sodālis,

Cinna est Gāius, is sibī parāvit.  30

Vērum, ūtrum illius an meī, quid ad mē?

Ūtor tam bene quam mihī parārim.

Sed tū īnsulsa male et molesta vīvis,

per quam nōn licet esse nēglegentem.'

    Vārus –ī m.: friend of Catullus

    ōtiōsus –a –um: full of otium, at leisure, idle

    scortillum –ī n.: chippy, little bimbo (dim. of scortum)

    repente or repens: suddenly, immediately

    sānē: surely, decidedly

    illepidus –a –um: unbecoming, ungraceful, awkward

    invenustus –a –um: not venustus, unlovely, unattractive

    Bīthȳnia –ae f.: Roman province on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, where Catullus served on the administrative staff of Memmius in 57-56 B.C. 7

    quisnam (quīnam) quaenam quidnam: pron. & adj., who/what, tell me?, who/what, finally 11

    ūnctus –a –um: greasy, well-oiled, rich

    praesertim: especially, particularly

    irrumātor –ōris m.: a man who compels others to perform fellatio (oral sex); hence, one who treats others with contempt

    pilus –ī m.: a hair; something of no value or significance

    lectīca –ae f.: litter, a covered and curtained couch used for carrying a person 16

    malignus –a –um: ungenerous, spiteful; grudging, poor, mean, scanty

    quod: because, the fact that

    octō; octāvus –a –um: indecl. adj., eight 20

    grabātus –ī m.: a low, cheap bed, pallet, cot

    collum collī n.: neck

    collocō collocāre collocāvī collocātus: set, place; set out, arrange on a marriage bed

    cinaedus –a –um: a catamite or passive homosexual, one who submits to anal intercourse; an effeminate male

    quaesō quaesere: ask, pray, request; w/ imper., please 25

    Catullus –ī m.: cognomen of Gaius Valerius Catullus

    paulum or paululum: for a little while

    commodō commodāre commodāvī commodātus: lend

    Serāpis –is m.: Egyptian god popular in the Roman world; the temple of Serapis, where Romans went for faith healing

    sodālis sodālis m.: crony, buddy, comrade

    Cinna –ae m.: a family name, e.g., C. Helvius Cinna, Catullus' friend 30

    Gāius –iī m.: a Roman praenomen, regularly abbr. to C.

    vērum: adversative conj., assenting to what has been said but adding a qualification: but in fact, but, actually

    insulsus –a –um: witless, stupid

    molestus –a –um: troublesome, annoying

    neglegēns neglegentis: careless

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