13

Catullus sends a strange party invitation to his friend Fabullus. If he brings to the  party all the food, wine, entertainment, and beautiful women, Catullus will provide true affection and a very special perfume.

Meter: Hendecasyllabics.

apud: “at the house of” + accusative.

paucīs … diēbus: “in a few days,” ablative of time within which.

dī: = deī, subject of favent.

favent: “show favor to” + dative.

tēcum: = cum tē.

sī ... attuleris: future perfect indicative (> affero), as normal in the protasis of a future more vivid condition (AG 516.c): “if you will have brought,” i.e., "if you bring."

candidā: “beautiful,” “dazzling,” LS candidus I.A.5.

sale: “salt,” i.e. “wit,” LS sal II.A.

Haec: “these things,” direct object of attuleris.

inquam: “I say.”

venuste noster: “my charming fellow,” vocative singular, referring to Fabullus.

tuī Catullī: “of your (friend) Catullus,” genitive singular.

plēnus: “full of” + genitive, predicate adjective after est.

contrā: “in return,” adverb.

accipiēs: “you will receive,” future indicative in the apodosis of a future more vivid conditional, expressing what will be the logical result (AG 516).

seu quid: seu = sive and  quid = aliquid (a shortening which is normal after forms of sī): “or if there is anything.”

suāvius ēlegantiusve: “more charming or more elegant,” neuter nominative singular comparative adjectives.

quod: “which,” direct object of dōnārunt; the antecedent is unguentum.

dōnārunt:  dōnāvērunt, syncopated perfect.

Venerēs Cupīdinēsque: “the Venuses and the Cupids” (cf. introductory line of Poem 3)

quod: “which/it”; direct object of olfaciēs

cum olfaciēs: “when you smell,” future indicative in a cum-clause indicating the time, rather than circumstance or cause, of the main verb (AG 547).

ut tē faciant: “that they make you,” pres. subj. in an indirect command after rogābis (AG 563).

tōtum … nāsum: “all nose” or “entirely a nose.”