Saturday, March 31, 2007
Poem of the Month
This is the last of Catullus. More whining in two poems about the two minds he has about his lost love, Lesbia, and the possessive jealousy he feels seeing her with someone else. Someone should have Cher slapped him like Nicholas Cage--Snap out of it!
Catullus 75
Lesbius est pulcer. quid ni? quem Lesbia malit
quam te cum tota gente, Catulle, tua.
sed tamen hic pulcer vendat cum gente Catullum,
si tria natorum suavia reppererit.
Lesbius is pretty. Why not? Since Lesbia likes him
more than you and all your people, Catullus.
But still let this pretty boy sell Catullus and all his people
if he should find three to acknowledge his birth.
The last line has to do with Roman law and it is very clever but totally lost on us without a long and, I'm afraid, tedious explanation. Lesbia's new lover is lower class and proud Catullus can't stand it. Short and to the point, that.
Catullus 79
Nulla potest mulier tantum se dicere amatam
vere, quantum a me Lesbia amata mea est.
Nulla fides ullo fuit umquam foedere tanta,
quanta in amore tuo ex parte reperta mea est.
No woman can truthfully say she was so much loved,
as my Lesbia was loved by me.
No such big trust was ever kept in any commitment before
as, on my side, my love for you was kept.
Yeah, yeah, you were the model of a faithful lover, a paragon of faith and adoration, and she cheated on you. Welcome to the party, pal. Snap out of it.
Catullus 75
Lesbius est pulcer. quid ni? quem Lesbia malit
quam te cum tota gente, Catulle, tua.
sed tamen hic pulcer vendat cum gente Catullum,
si tria natorum suavia reppererit.
Lesbius is pretty. Why not? Since Lesbia likes him
more than you and all your people, Catullus.
But still let this pretty boy sell Catullus and all his people
if he should find three to acknowledge his birth.
The last line has to do with Roman law and it is very clever but totally lost on us without a long and, I'm afraid, tedious explanation. Lesbia's new lover is lower class and proud Catullus can't stand it. Short and to the point, that.
Catullus 79
Nulla potest mulier tantum se dicere amatam
vere, quantum a me Lesbia amata mea est.
Nulla fides ullo fuit umquam foedere tanta,
quanta in amore tuo ex parte reperta mea est.
No woman can truthfully say she was so much loved,
as my Lesbia was loved by me.
No such big trust was ever kept in any commitment before
as, on my side, my love for you was kept.
Yeah, yeah, you were the model of a faithful lover, a paragon of faith and adoration, and she cheated on you. Welcome to the party, pal. Snap out of it.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 7:58 AM 
