Catullus 35, 51

Catullus 35

Poetae tenero, meo sodali,

velim Caecilio, papyre, dicas

Veronam veniat, Noui relinquens

Comi moenia Lariumque litus.

nam quasdam volo cogitationes 5

amici accipiat sui meique.

quare, si sapiet, viam vorabit,

quamvis candida milies puella

euntem revocet, manusque collo

ambas iniciens roget morari. 10

quae nunc, si mihi vera nuntiantur,

illum deperit impotente amore.

nam quo tempore legit incohatam

Dindymi dominam, ex eo misellae

ignes interiorem edunt medullam. 15

ignosco tibi, Sapphica puella

musa doctior; est enim venuste

Magna Caecilio incohata Mater.

*What is this poem about?*

• Catullus wants to give his friend Caecilius advice on his poem

• Catullus wants the paper to tell the tender poet to stay away from Catullus's girlfriend

• Catullus is telling Caecilius how his latest poem and asking for advice

Catullus 35

Poetae tenero, meo sodali,

velim Caecilio, papyre, dicas

Veronam veniat, Noui relinquens

Comi moenia Lariumque litus.

nam quasdam volo cogitationes 5

amici accipiat sui meique.

quare, si sapiet, viam vorabit,

quamvis candida milies puella

euntem revocet, manusque collo

ambas iniciens roget morari. 10

quae nunc, si mihi vera nuntiantur,

illum deperit impotente amore.

nam quo tempore legit incohatam

Dindymi dominam, ex eo misellae

ignes interiorem edunt medullam. 15

ignosco tibi, Sapphica puella

musa doctior; est enim venuste

Magna Caecilio incohata Mater.

*What does Catullus ask the paper to do?*

• to tell Caecilius to come to him in Verona

• to tell Caecilius to return to Larium

• to tell Caecilius to break up with his girlfriend

Catullus 35

Poetae tenero, meo sodali,

velim Caecilio, papyre, dicas

Veronam veniat, Noui relinquens

Comi moenia Lariumque litus.

nam quasdam volo cogitationes 5

amici accipiat sui meique.

quare, si sapiet, viam vorabit,

quamvis candida milies puella

euntem revocet, manusque collo

ambas iniciens roget morari. 10

quae nunc, si mihi vera nuntiantur,

illum deperit impotente amore.

nam quo tempore legit incohatam

Dindymi dominam, ex eo misellae

ignes interiorem edunt medullam. 15

ignosco tibi, Sapphica puella

musa doctior; est enim venuste

Magna Caecilio incohata Mater.

*What does Caecilius's girlfriend do?*

• begs Caecilius to stay home

• puts her arms around Catullus's neck

• asks Catullus to die

Catullus 35

Poetae tenero, meo sodali,

velim Caecilio, papyre, dicas

Veronam veniat, Noui relinquens

Comi moenia Lariumque litus.

nam quasdam volo cogitationes 5

amici accipiat sui meique.

quare, si sapiet, viam vorabit,

quamvis candida milies puella

euntem revocet, manusque collo

ambas iniciens roget morari. 10

quae nunc, si mihi vera nuntiantur,

illum deperit impotente amore.

nam quo tempore legit incohatam

Dindymi dominam, ex eo misellae

ignes interiorem edunt medullam. 15

ignosco tibi, Sapphica puella

musa doctior; est enim venuste

Magna Caecilio incohata Mater.

*Why does Caecilius's girlfriend ask him to stay?*

• she loves him and she thinks he doesn't need Catullus's poetic advice

• she hates him and wants him to be unhappy

• she thinks his poem is terrible and is embarrassed of him

Catullus 35

Poetae tenero, meo sodali,

velim Caecilio, papyre, dicas

Veronam veniat, Noui relinquens

Comi moenia Lariumque litus.

nam quasdam volo cogitationes 5

amici accipiat sui meique.

quare, si sapiet, viam vorabit,

quamvis candida milies puella

euntem revocet, manusque collo

ambas iniciens roget morari. 10

quae nunc, si mihi vera nuntiantur,

illum deperit impotente amore.

nam quo tempore legit incohatam

Dindymi dominam, ex eo misellae

ignes interiorem edunt medullam. 15

ignosco tibi, Sapphica puella

musa doctior; est enim venuste

Magna Caecilio incohata Mater.

*How does Catullus respond?*

• he sarcastically says she is more learned than Sappho's muse and says Caecilius' poem is off to a good start

• he says that she's a problem

• he says that the poem is as good as Sappho's poem about the ancient mother

Catullus 51

Ille mi par esse deo videtur,

ille, si fas est, superare divos,

qui sedens adversus identidem te

spectat et audit

dulce ridentem, misero quod omnis 5

eripit sensus mihi: nam simul te,

Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mi

* * * * * * * *

lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus

flamma demanat, sonitu suopte 10

tintinant aures gemina, teguntur

lumina nocte.

otium, Catulle, tibi molestum est:

otio exsultas nimiumque gestis:

otium et reges prius et beatas 15

perdidit urbes.

*What is this poem about?*

• It's modeled on a Greek poem by Sappho about a lover watching their beloved with someone else

• It's a direct translation of a Greek poem about two lovers who die together instead of being apart

• It's about a breakup between two lovers because one of them is getting married

Catullus 51

Ille mi par esse deo videtur,

ille, si fas est, superare divos,

qui sedens adversus identidem te

spectat et audit

dulce ridentem, misero quod omnis 5

eripit sensus mihi: nam simul te,

Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mi

* * * * * * * *

lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus

flamma demanat, sonitu suopte 10

tintinant aures gemina, teguntur

lumina nocte.

otium, Catulle, tibi molestum est:

otio exsultas nimiumque gestis:

otium et reges prius et beatas 15

perdidit urbes.

*What does Catullus say about "that man"?*

• He's equal to or even surpasses the gods

• He's a loser

• He's about to offend the gods because he was seen in the wrong grove

Catullus 51

Ille mi par esse deo videtur,

ille, si fas est, superare divos,

qui sedens adversus identidem te

spectat et audit

dulce ridentem, misero quod omnis 5

eripit sensus mihi: nam simul te,

Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mi

* * * * * * * *

lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus

flamma demanat, sonitu suopte 10

tintinant aures gemina, teguntur

lumina nocte.

otium, Catulle, tibi molestum est:

otio exsultas nimiumque gestis:

otium et reges prius et beatas 15

perdidit urbes.

*What does Catullus think that about "that man"?*

• That man gets to sit opposite of Lesbia hearing her laugh

• That man gets all the girls

• That man can take away the pain and senses of others

Catullus 51

Ille mi par esse deo videtur,

ille, si fas est, superare divos,

qui sedens adversus identidem te

spectat et audit

dulce ridentem, misero quod omnis 5

eripit sensus mihi: nam simul te,

Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mi

* * * * * * * *

lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus

flamma demanat, sonitu suopte 10

tintinant aures gemina, teguntur

lumina nocte.

otium, Catulle, tibi molestum est:

otio exsultas nimiumque gestis:

otium et reges prius et beatas 15

perdidit urbes.

*What does seeing that man sitting with Lesbia do to Catullus?*

• Takes his senses away

• Makes his tongue numb

• causes ringing in his ears

Catullus 51

Ille mi par esse deo videtur,

ille, si fas est, superare divos,

qui sedens adversus identidem te

spectat et audit

dulce ridentem, misero quod omnis 5

eripit sensus mihi: nam simul te,

Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mi

* * * * * * * *

lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus

flamma demanat, sonitu suopte 10

tintinant aures gemina, teguntur

lumina nocte.

otium, Catulle, tibi molestum est:

otio exsultas nimiumque gestis:

otium et reges prius et beatas 15

perdidit urbes.

*What does catching sight of Lesbia do to Catullus?*

• makes his tongue numb, causes fire to go through his limbs, his ears ring, and he loses his sight

• makes him filled with rage and love and confusion

• makes him see twin suns in the sky