Estne tibī, Cērinthe, tuae pia cūra puellae,
quod mea nunc vexat corpora fessa calor?
Ā! Ego nōn aliter trīstēs ēvincere morbōs
optārim, quam tē sī quoque velle putem.
At mihi quid prōsit morbōs ēvincere, sī tū 5
nostra potēs lentō pectore ferre mala?
notes
I have fallen ill. Why should I get better, when Cerinthus doesn’t care about me?
1 pia cūra: “loyal devotion,” the subject of estne tibi. Cūra then takes the objective genitive tuae puellae. “Do you have any loyal devotion to your girl?”
2 calor: “fever.” LS calor I.B.4.
3 Ā = ah! An expression either of pain (LS ah I) or of reproach (LS ah III), or perhaps a mix of both.
3 nōn aliter: adverbial with quam…sī in line 4: “not otherwise … than if.”
3 morbōs: “malady,” plural for singular as is common in poetry.
4 optārim / putem: optā(ve)rim is perfect subjunctive in the apodosis of a mixed condition. Putem is present subjunctive in the protasis of a mixed condition.
5 mihi quid prōsit: “what would it benefit me?” “what good would it do me?”
6 nostra mala: “my sufferings.” Nostra could technically be plural, referring to their mutual sufferings, but it is more likely singular for plural as is common in poetry.
6 lentō pectore: “with a cold heart.” LS lentus II. C. Similar sentiments appear in Ovid’s Heroides 15.169–170: lentissima pectora.
vocabulary
Cērinthus –ī m.: Cerinthus: the beloved of the poet addressed in this elegy
vexō vexāre vexāvī vexātum: to trouble, harass, afflict, torment
calor calōris m.: fever
ēvincō ēvincere ēvīcī ēvictum: to conquer completely, overcome, vanquish; prevail over
lentus –a –um: cold,, indifferent, unconcerned