Catulli Carmen VIII: The Break-up
by Rob Bullard on Monday, March 26, 2007 at 5:54am
Gaius Valerius Catullus
84-54 BCE (over 2,000 years ago)
Trans RMBullard Latin (Golden Age)
Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire/et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
(Poor Catullus, if only you could stop being a fool and take for lost the thing that has been lost;)
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles/cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat/amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.
(Once upon a time, the suns shined bright for you, when you used to go wherever the girl lead, loved by us far more than anybody shall be loved;)
illa multa cum iocosa fiebant/quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat/fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.
(Many delights used to happened in that place, ones that you desired, nor did the girl not desire, so truly did the suns shine bright for you;)
Nunc iam illa non volt: tu quoque inpote/nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive/sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
(So now she doesn’t want me: you too, powerless one, don’t chase the one who flees, nor live a miserable man, but carry through with a stubborn mind, a determined one;)
Vale puella.
(Goodbye, lady;)
iam Catullus obdurat/nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam.
(Already Catullus becomes determined, and he will neither seek nor ask you unwilling;)
at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
(But you will grieve, when you aren’t asked at all;)
scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita?
(You cruel girl, curse you, what life will wait for you?)
Quis nunc te adibit? Cui videberis bella?
(Who now will approach you? Whom will you seem pretty to?)
Quem nunc amabis? Cuius esse diceris?
(Whom now will you love? Whom will you say you belong to?)
Quem basiabis? Cui labella mordebis?
(Whom will you kiss? Whose lips will you nibble on?)
At tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.
(Yet you, Catullus, stay determined.)
84-54 BCE (over 2,000 years ago)
Trans RMBullard Latin (Golden Age)
Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire/et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
(Poor Catullus, if only you could stop being a fool and take for lost the thing that has been lost;)
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles/cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat/amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.
(Once upon a time, the suns shined bright for you, when you used to go wherever the girl lead, loved by us far more than anybody shall be loved;)
illa multa cum iocosa fiebant/quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat/fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.
(Many delights used to happened in that place, ones that you desired, nor did the girl not desire, so truly did the suns shine bright for you;)
Nunc iam illa non volt: tu quoque inpote/nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive/sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
(So now she doesn’t want me: you too, powerless one, don’t chase the one who flees, nor live a miserable man, but carry through with a stubborn mind, a determined one;)
Vale puella.
(Goodbye, lady;)
iam Catullus obdurat/nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam.
(Already Catullus becomes determined, and he will neither seek nor ask you unwilling;)
at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
(But you will grieve, when you aren’t asked at all;)
scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita?
(You cruel girl, curse you, what life will wait for you?)
Quis nunc te adibit? Cui videberis bella?
(Who now will approach you? Whom will you seem pretty to?)
Quem nunc amabis? Cuius esse diceris?
(Whom now will you love? Whom will you say you belong to?)
Quem basiabis? Cui labella mordebis?
(Whom will you kiss? Whose lips will you nibble on?)
At tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.
(Yet you, Catullus, stay determined.)
