Catullus 76
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Catullus 76 is a poem by the Roman poet Catullus.
The meter of this poem is elegiac couplets, a common form in Catullus' poetry.
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[edit] General comments
In this poem, the love for Lesbia (Clodia) which brought such joy to Catullus has become a foul disease which poisons his mind. He begs the gods to remove this pain and help him forget of his love for Lesbia.
[edit] Latin text and translation
| Line | Latin text | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Si qua recordanti benefacta priora voluptas | If there is any pleasure in remembering past good deeds |
| 2 | est homini, cum se cogitat esse pium, | for a man, when he believes himself to be dutiful, |
| 3 | nec sanctam violasse fidem, nec foedere nullo | to not have violated any sacred trusts, nor in any pact |
| 4 | divum ad fallendos numine abusum homines, | of the gods to have abused divine power to deceive men, |
| 5 | multa parata manent in longa aetate, Catulle, | then much joy remains to you in your long life, Catullus, |
| 6 | ex hoc ingrato gaudia amore tibi. | prepared from this thankless love. |
| 7 | Nam quaecumque homines bene cuiquam aut dicere possunt | For anything that a man is able to do or say well to another |
| 8 | aut facere, haec a te dictaque factaque sunt. | it has been done and said by you |
| 9 | Omnia quae ingratae perierunt credita menti. | all of which things have died entrusted to this ungrateful mind |
| 10 | Quare iam te cur amplius excrucies? | So why do you keep torturing yourself further? |
| 11 | Quin tu animo offirmas atque istinc teque reducis, | Why not be firm in the mind, and lead yourself out from there |
| 12 | et dis invitis desinis esse miser? | and stop being miserable with the gods unwilling |
| 13 | Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem. | It is difficult to suddenly put away a long love |
| 14 | Difficile est, verum hoc qua lubet efficias; | It is difficult, but you must do it in some way or other |
| 15 | una salus haec est, hoc est tibi pervicendum, | it is the one safety, this must be conquered by you |
| 16 | hoc facias, sive id non pote sive pote. | Just do it! Whether it is impossible or possible |
| 17 | O di, si vestrum est misereri, aut si quibus umquam | Oh gods, if it is in you to pity, or if ever |
| 18 | extremam iam ipsa in morte tulistis opem, | you have saved someone in the nick of time in death itself |
| 19 | me miserum aspicite et, si vitam puriter egi, | Look upon pathetic me! And, if I have lived life purely |
| 20 | eripite hanc pestem perniciemque mihi, | take away from me this poison and pest |
| 21 | quae mihi subrepens imos ut torpor in artus | which creeping down to my inner most self like a paralysis |
| 22 | expulit ex omni pectore laetitias. | takes away happiness from my whole heart |
| 23 | Non iam illud quaero, contra me ut diligat illa, | Now I do not seek, that she loves me in return |
| 24 | aut, quod non potis est, esse pudica velit, | or, (that which is impossible), that she chooses to be chaste |
| 25 | ipse valere opto et taetrum hunc deponere morbum. | I wish myself to be well, and to put down this foul disease |
| 26 | O di, reddite mi hoc pro pietate mea. | Oh Gods! return this to me in return for my piety |
[edit] Bibliography
Latin Wikisource has original text related to this article:
English Wikisource has original text related to this article:
- Powell, JGF (1990). "Two Notes on Catullus". Classical Quarterly 40: 199–206.
- Skinner, MB (1987). "Disease Imagery in Catullus 76.17-26". Classical Philology 82: 230–233. doi:.
- Dyson, M (1973). "Catullus 8 and 76". Classical Quarterly 23: 127–143.
- Moritz, LA (1968). "Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem". Greece and Rome 15: 53–58.
[edit] External links
| Poems (Carmina) of The Roman poet Catullus |
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| Lesbia poems | 2, 2b, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 36, 37, 51, 58, 68, 70, 72, 75, 76, 79, 83, 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 104, 107, 109 |
| Invective poems | 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 33, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 49, 52, 53, 54, 57, 59, 60, 69, 71, 73, 74, 77, 78, 80, 84, 88, 89, 90, 93, 95, 97, 98, 103, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 116 |
| Unusual poetic meters |
4, 8, 11, 17, 22, 25, 29, 30, 31, 34, 37, 39, 44, 51, 52, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 |
| Hendecasyllabic verse | 1, 2, 2b, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 14b, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 58b |
| Elegiac couplets | 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116 |
| See also the list of poems by Catullus. | |
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