Catullus 50

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Catullus 50 is a poem by the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus. It describes the competitive exchange of love poetry between Catullus and his friend Calvus. Catullus' description of his restless state can be read as a continuation of the competition.

The meter of this poem is hendecasyllabic, a common form in Catullus' poetry.

[edit] Latin text and translation

English Translation Original Latin Line

Yesterday, my Licinius, at leisure
we wrote very much poetry on my tablets,
since it had been decided to be frivolous:
each one of us writing our lines of poetry and
was playing in this meter or that meter,
each one of us is exchanging things through joke and wine.
And I went from there, having been inflamed
by your charm and your wit, Licinius,
that as a result, food could not help me
nor did sleep cover my little eyes with rest,
but I, unconquered, was turned with fury
on the whole couch, desiring to see the light,
in order that I could speak with you the same time that I could be (with you).
But my half dead limbs were lying on the little bed
after having been exhausted by work,
at this time, delightful one, I made poems for you,
from which you may recognize my pain.
Now don't be bold, my dear, and I pray
take care that you not reject my pleas,
lest Nemesis demand punishment from you:
she is a violent goddess, take care not to harm her.

Hesterno, Licini, die otiosi
multum lusimus in meis tabellis,
ut convenerat esse delicatos:
scribens versiculos uterque nostrum
ludebat numero modo hoc modo illoc,
reddens mutua per iocum atque vinum.
Atque illinc abii tuo lepore
incensus, Licini, facetiisque,
ut nec me miserum cibus iuvaret
nec somnus tegeret quiete ocellos,
sed toto indomitus furore lecto
versarer, cupiens videre lucem,
ut tecum loquerer simulque ut essem.
At defessa labore membra postquam
semimortua lectulo iacebant,
hoc, iucunde, tibi poema feci,
ex quo perspiceres meum dolorem.
Nunc audax cave sis, precesque nostras,
oramus, cave despuas, ocelle,
ne poenas Nemesis reposcat a te.
Est vemens dea: laedere hanc caveto.

50.1
50.2
50.3
50.4
50.5
50.6
50.7
50.8
50.9
50.10
50.11
50.12
50.13
50.14
50.15
50.16
50.17
50.18
50.19
50.20
50.21

[edit] Bibliography

Wikisource
Latin Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Wikisource
English Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  • William, MF (1988). "Catullus 50 and the Language of Friendship". Latomus 47: 69–73. 
  • Burgess, DL (1986). "Catullus c.50: the Exchange of Poetry". American Journal of Philology 107: 576–586. doi:10.2307/295106. 
  • Finamore, JF (1984). "Catullus 50 and 51: Friendship, Love and Otium". Classical World 78: 11–19. 
  • Segal, C (1970). "Catullan otiosi — The Lover and the Poet". Greece and Rome 17: 26–31. 
  • Scott, WC (1969). "Catullus and Calvus (Cat. 50)". Classical Philology 64: 169–173. doi:10.1086/365498. 
Poems (Carmina) of The Roman poet Catullus
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.