9

Catullus celebrates the return of his friend Veranius from administrative duty in Spain. He is overjoyed to welcome Veranius home and to hear all about his time abroad. The poem is a beautiful expression of friendship and relief at the news of a cherished comrade’s safe return.

Meter: hendecasyllabics

1  Vērānī: vocative singular; Catullus mentions Veranius in Poems 12, 28, and 47.

1  omnibus ē meīs amīcīs…mīlibus trecentīs: “from all my 300,000 friends.”

2  antistans mihi: “standing out to me”; mihi is an ethical dative or a dative of advantage (AG 376).

3  vēnistīne: “did you come?”; -ne introduces a “yes” or “no” question (AG 332).

3  domum: “home”; accusative of place to which (AG 426.2).

4  (ad) frātrēsque ūnanimōs: “and (your) like-minded bothers.”

4  (ad) anumque mātrem: “and (your) old mother.”

6  Vīsam tē incolumem: “I will go and see you safe and sound”; vīsam is first singular future tense.

6  Hibērum…loca, facta nātiōnēs: “the places, deeds, (and) peoples of the Spanish”; Hibērum is genitive plural.

7  nārrantem: “talking (of)”; present active participle, modifying tē in line 6.

8  ut: “as.” 

8  applicānsque collum: “and drawing close your neck”; applicāns modifies “I”, the subject of suāviābor (line 9).

9  iūcundum ōs: “pleasant mouth”; direct object of suāviābor (line 9); iūcundum is placed so that it could also modify collum (line 8).

9  suāviābor: “I will kiss”; first singular future deponent verb.

10  quantum est: “however much there is," i.e., "however many there are.”

10  hominum beātiōrum: “of rather blessed people”; partitive genitive (AG 346) after quantum; beātiōrum is comparative, genitive plural. 

11  mē: “than I”; ablative of comparison (AG 406).

11  quid…laetius est beātiusve: “what is happier or more blessed?”; laetius and beātius are comparative neuter nominative singular forms.