Poētae tenerō, meō sodālī,

velim Caeciliō, papȳre, dīcās

Vērōnam veniat, Novī relinquēns

Cōmī moenia Lāriumque lītus.

Nam quāsdam volo cōgitātiōnēs 5

amīcī accipiat suī meīque.

Quārē, sī sapiet, viam vorābit,

quamvīs candida mīliēs puella

euntem revocet, manūsque collō

ambās iniciēns roget morārī. 10

Quae nunc, sī mihi vēra nūntiantur,

illum dēperit impotente amōre.

Nam quō tempore lēgit incohātam

Dindymī dominam, ex eō misellae

ignēs interiōrem edunt medullam. 15

Ignōscō tibi, Sapphicā puella

mūsā doctior; est enim venustē

Magna Caeciliō incohāta Māter.

    sodālis sodālis m : crony, buddy, comrade

    Caecilius –ī m.: Roman nomen gentile

    papȳrus –ī f.: an Egyptian reed used in making paper; paper made from the papyrus reed

    Vērōna –ae f.: town in Gallia Transpadana, birthplace of Catullus

    Cōmum –ī n.: town in Cisalpine Gaul (mod. Como)

    Lār Laris m.: household god

    cōgitātiō cōgitātiōnis f.: a thought 5

    amīcus amīcī m.: friend

    sapiō sapere sapivī: have a taste; have taste, sense, discernment

    vorō vorāre vorāvī vorātus: devour, eat up

    mīliēs: 1000 times

    collum collī n.: neck

    ambō ambae ambō: pl. adj. & pron., both 10

    iniciō –ere –iēcī –iectum: throw in or on

    vērum –ī n.: but in fact, but, actually

    nūntiō nuntiāre nuntiāvī nuntiātus: announce, communicate, tell

    dēpereō –perīre –periī: perish; (hyperbolic) love to death, love to distraction

    impotens –entis: powerless; lacking in self-control, hence headstrong, wild, violent, intemperate

    incohō –āre –āvī –ātum: start work on, begin

    Dindymus –ī m.: mountain in Phrygia sacred to the goddess Cybele

    misellus –a –um: poor little; wretchedly in love (dim. of miser)

    interior –ius: inner 15

    edō ēsse ēdī ēsus: eat/consume/devour

    medulla medullae f.: the marrow of the bones; the interior, inside, seat of the emotions

    īgnōscō īgnōscere īgnōvī īgnōtus: forgive (w/ dat.)

    Sapphicus –a –um: of Sappho, the 7-6th cent. lyric poet

    Mūsa –ae f.: a Muse, divine patroness of poetry

    doctus –a –um: learned

    venustus –a –um: lovely, attractive, charming; graceful, pretty, neat

    article Nav
    Next
    Previous