Quod mihi fortūnā cāsūque oppressus acerbō
cōnscrīptum hoc lacrimīs mittis epīstolium,
naufragum ut ēiectum spūmantibus aequoris undīs
sublevem et ā mortis līmine restituam,
quem neque sāncta Venus mollī requiēscere somnō 5
dēsertum in lectō caelibe perpetitur,
nec veterum dulcī scrīptōrum carmine Mūsae
oblectant, cum mēns ānxia pervigilat:
id grātum est mihi, mē quoniam tibi dīcis amīcum,
mūneraque et Mūsārum hinc petis et Veneris. 10
Sed tibi nē mea sint ignōta incommoda, Mānī,
neu mē ōdisse putēs hospitis officium,
accipe, quīs merser fortūnae flūctibus ipse,
nē amplius ā miserō dōna beāta petās.
Tempore quō prīmum vestis mihi trādita pūra est, 15
iūcundum cum aetās flōrida vēr ageret,
multa satis lūsī: nōn est dea nescia nostrī,
quae dulcem cūrīs miscet amāritiem.
Sed tōtum hoc studium lūctū frāterna mihī mors
abstulit. ō miserō frāter adēmpte mihi, 20
tū mea tū moriēns frēgistī commoda, frāter,
tēcum ūnā tōta est nostra sepulta domus,
omnia tēcum ūnā periērunt gaudia nostra,
quae tuus in vītā dulcis alēbat amor.
vocabulary
opprimō opprimere oppressī oppressus: press against; overwhelm
acerbus –a –um: bitter; cruel, harsh, painful
cōnscrībō cōnscrībere cōnscrīpsī cōnscrīptus: enroll; write down
epīstolium –iī n.: short letter
naufragus –a –um: a shipwrecked person
ēiciō ēicere ēiēcī ēiectus: throw out, expel, eject
spūmō spūmāre spūmāvī spūmātus: foam, froth
sublevō sublevāre sublevāvī sublevātus: raise, lift
restituō restituere restituī restitūtus: rebuild; restore, cure; give back unharmed or in its original state
Venus –eris f.: Venus or Aphrodite, goddess of love and charm 5
requiēscō requiēscere requiēvī requiētum: rest, find relief
lectus lectī m.: bed, couch
caelebs caelibis: without a spouse; unpartnered, celibate
perpetior –petī –pessus sum: undergo; allow
scrīptor –ōris m.: writer
Mūsa –ae f.: a Muse, divine patroness of poetry
oblectō oblectāre oblectāvī oblectātum: delight
ānxius –a –um: anxious
pervigilō pervigilāre pervigilāvī pervigilātus: stay awake all night
hinc: from this place or point 10
īgnōtus –a –um: unknown
incommodum –ī n.: detriment, harm; pl., misfortune
(Manius) Allius –iī m.: a friend of Catullus
neu or neve: and that… not
mersō –āre –āvī –ātum: submerge, plunge, overwhelm
pūrus –a –um: clean, pure; plain, unembellished 15
iūcundus –a –um: pleasant, delightful
floridus –a –um: full of flowers, flowery
vēr vēris n.: spring
lūdō lūdere lūsī lūsus: play
nescius –a –um: ignorant, unaware
amārities –eī f.: bitterness
lūctus lūctūs m.: the expression of grief; lamentation, grief, sorrow
frāternus –a –um: of or from a brother, fraternal
ō: interjection, expressing grief, pleasure, indignation, or adjuration 20
adimō adimere adēmī adēmptus: remove, take
commodum commodī n.: advantage, benefit
ūnā: together; at the same time
sepeliō sepelīre sepeliī/sepelīvī sepultum: buried