Cuius ego interitū tōtā dē mente fugāvī 25
haec studia atque omnēs dēliciās animī.
Quārē, quod scrībīs Vērōnae turpe Catullō
esse, quod hīc quisquis dē meliōre notā
frīgida dēsertō tepefactet membra cubīlī,
id, Mānī, nōn est turpe, magis miserum est. 30
Ignōscēs igitur sī, quae mihi lūctus adēmit,
haec tibi nōn tribuō mūnera, cum nequeō.
Nam, quod scrīptōrum nōn magna est cōpia apud mē,
hoc fit, quod Rōmae vīvimus: illa domus,
illa mihī sēdēs, illīc mea carpitur aetās; 35
hūc ūna ex multīs capsula mē sequitur.
Quod cum ita sit, nōlim statuās nōs mente malignā
id facere aut animō nōn satis ingenuō,
quod tibi nōn utriusque petentī cōpia posta est:
ultrō ego dēferrem, cōpia sīqua foret. 40
Nōn possum reticēre, deae, quā mē Allius in rē
iūverit aut quantīs iūverit officiīs,
nē fugiēns saeclīs oblīvīscentibus aetās
illius hoc caecā nocte tegat studium:
sed dīcam vōbīs, vōs porrō dīcite multīs 45
mīlibus et facite haec carta loquātur anus.
vocabulary
interitus interitūs m.: violent or untimely death 25
dēlicia dēliciae f. (often plural) or delici(ōl)um –ī m.: pleasure; pl. pet, darling
quod: because, the fact that
Vērōna –ae f.: town in Gallia Transpadana, birthplace of Catullus
Catullus –ī m.: cognomen of Gaius Valerius Catullus
nota notae f.: mark; quality, character
frīgidus –a –um: chilly, cold; (of language, rhetoric, etc.) feeble, tedious, frigid
tepefactō –āre: to be in the habit of warming
cubīle cubīlis n.: bed, couch
(Manius) Allius –iī m.: a friend of Catullus 30
īgnōscō īgnōscere īgnōvī īgnōtus: forgive (w/ dat.)
lūctus lūctūs m.: the expression of grief; lamentation, grief, sorrow
adimō adimere adēmī adēmptus: remove, take
tribuō tribuere tribuī tribūtus: apportion, grant
nequeō nequīre nequiī/nequīvī nequitum: to be unable (to)
scrīptor –ōris m.: writer
Rōma Rōmae f.: the city of Rome
carpō carpere carpsī carptum: pluck, pull at; press on along (a way, journey, period of time, etc.); carp at, criticize 35
capsula –ae f.: a small cylindrical case for holding book rolls
malignus –a –um: ungenerous, spiteful; grudging, poor, mean, scanty
ingenuus –a –um: native, natural; befitting a free-born person, generous, frank; (m. or f. subst.) a freeborn person
ultrō: to a point farther off; of one's own accord, unasked 40
reticeō –cēre –cuī: refrain from speaking, keep silent
oblīvīscor oblīvīscī oblītus sum: forget, w/ gen. or acc. of object forgotten
porrō: straight on; hereafter 45
charta chartae f.: a sheet or roll of papyrus
anus anūs f.: old woman; as fem. adj., old, aged