Numquam sē mediam sustulit ad tunicam;
sed pater illīus gnātī violāsse cubīle
dīcitur et miseram cōnscelerāsse domum,
sīve quod impia mēns caecō flagrābat amōre, 25
seu quod iners sterilī sēmine nātus erat,
ut quaerendum unde unde foret nervōsius illud,
quod posset zōnam solvere virgineam.'
Egregium nārrās mīrā pietāte parentem.
Quī ipse suī gnātī mīnxerit in gremium. 30
Atquī nōn sōlum hoc dīcit sē cognitum habēre
Brixia Cȳcnēae supposita speculae,
flāvus quam mollī praecurrit flūmine Mella,
Brixia Vērōnae māter amāta meae,
sed dē Postumiō et Cornēlī nārrat amōre, 35
cum quibus illa malum fēcit adulterium.
Dīxerit hīc aliquis: quid? tū istaec, iānua, nōstī,
cui numquam dominī līmine abesse licet,
nec populum auscultāre, sed hīc suffīxa tigillō
tantum operīre solēs aut aperīre domum? 40
Saepe illam audīvī fūrtīvā vōce loquentem
sōlam cum ancillīs haec sua flāgitia,
nōmine dīcentem quōs dīximus, utpote quae mī
spērāret nec linguam esse nec auriculam.
Praetereā addēbat quendam, quem dīcere nōlō 45
nōmine, nē tollat rubra supercilia.
Longus homō est, magnās cui lītēs intulit ōlim
falsum mendācī ventre puerperium.'
vocabulary
tunica tunicae f.: tunic, a standard garment worn by both sexes
violō violāre violāvī violātus: violate, defile
cubīle cubīlis n.: bed, couch
cōnscelerō cōnscelerāre cōnscelerāvī cōnscelerātus: stain with crime, pollute
impius –a –um: wicked, irreligious, without pietas 25
flagrō flagrāre flagrāvī flagrāturus: burn
iners –ertis: clumsy; lazy, idle, useless
sterilis –e: incapable of procreation
sēmen sēminis n.: seed; semen, sperm
nervōsus –a –um: full of muscles, sinewy; vigorous
zōna –ae f.: a girdle or belt; as worn by unmarried girls, its removal signified loss of virginity
virgineus –a –um: of a virgin
mīrus –a –um: extraordinary, remarkable
mingō mingere mīxī mīctus/mīnctus : urinate 30
gremium gremi(ī) n.: lap
atquī or atquīn: conj., but; moreover
Brixia –ae f.: mod. Brescia, a town in Cisalpine Gaul
Cȳcnēus –a –um: of Cycnus, mythical king of Liguria who was changed into a swan
specula –ae f.: look-out point
flāvus –a –um: yellow, gold-colored, blonde
percurrō –ere –cucurrī (–currī) –cursus: run through quickly
Mella –ae m.: river near Brixia in Cisalpine Gaul
Vērōna –ae f.: town in Gallia Transpadana, birthplace of Catullus
Postumius –ī m.: name of a Roman gens 35
Cornēlius –iī m.: Roman nomen gentile
adulterium adulterī(ī) n.: an adulterous act; adultery
auscultō –āre –āvī –ātum: listen, overhear, eavesdrop on
suffīgō –fīgere –fīxī –fīxum: to fasten beneath or below , to fasten or fix on , to affix
tigillum –ī n.: a small beam, e.g., the lintel or top of the doorframe
operiō operīre operuī opertum: shut, close; cover 40
furtīvus –a –um: secret, furtive
ancilla –ae f.: slave girl, female slave
flāgitium flāgiti(ī) n.: disgrace, dishonor; shameful act, outrage
utpote: part., as one might expect, as is natural
auricula (auricilla or oricilla) –ae f.: a little ear (dim. of auris)
ruber rubra rubrum: red
supercilium –ī n.: eyebrow