Catullus 68

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Catullus 68 is a poem by the Roman poet Catullus.

The meter is elegiac couplets, a common form in Catullus's poetry.

[edit] Latin text and translation

Line	Latin text	English translation'
1	QVOD mihi fortuna casuque oppressus acerbo	That it's to me, now you're weighed down by harsh ill fortune,
2	conscriptum hoc lacrimis mittis epistolium,	that you send this little message, penned in tears-
3	naufragum ut eiectum spumantibus aequoris undis	begging for help when you're shipwrecked, tossed up by the creaming
4	subleuem et a mortis limine restituam,	breakers, seeking rescue from the threshold of death,
5	quem neque sancta Venus molli requiescere somno	granted no healing sleep by holy Venus, abandoned
6	desertum in lecto caelibe perpetitur,	alone in your single bed, with no
7	nec ueterum dulci scriptorum carmine Musae	comfort from the muses, impervious to the writings
8	oblectant, cum mens anxia peruigilat:	of ancient worthies while your anxious mind
9	id gratum est mihi, me quoniam tibi dicis amicum,	keeps wakeful - this gives me pleasure, since you call me friend, ask
10	muneraque et Musarum hinc petis et Veneris.	for gifts of both poetry and love.
11	sed tibi ne mea sint ignota incommoda, Mani,	But to make quite sure you're not unaware of my troubles,
12	neu me odisse putes hospitis officium,	manlius, or think I dismiss the duties of a guest,
13	accipe, quis merser fortunae fluctibus ipse,	let me tell you what waves of misfortune I too am overwhelmed by
14	ne amplius a misero dona beata petas.	to stop you asking this wretch for cheerful gifts.
15	tempore quo primum uestis mihi tradita pura est,	From the day when I first put on the white gown og manhood,
16	iucundum cum aetas florida uer ageret,	when my budding years were enchanted spring,
17	multa satis lusi: non est dea nescia nostri,	I played to the limit. The goddess who duly mingles
18	quae dulcem curis miscet amaritiem.	cares with sweet bitterness is not unaware of me.
19	sed totum hoc studium luctu fraterna mihi mors
20	abstulit. o misero frater adempte mihi,
21	tu mea tu moriens fregisti commoda, frater
22	tecum una tota est nostra sepulta domus,
23	omnia tecum una perierunt gaudia nostra,
24	quae tuus in uita dulcis alebat amor.
25	cuius ego interitu tota de mente fugaui
26	haec studia atque omnes delicias animi.
27	quare, quod scribis Veronae turpe Catullo
28	esse, quod hic quisquis de meliore nota
29	frigida deserto tepefactet membra cubili,
30	id, Mani, non est turpe, magis miserum est.
31	ignosces igitur si, quae mihi luctus ademit,
32	haec tibi non tribuo munera, cum nequeo.
33	nam, quod scriptorum non magna est copia apud me,
34	hoc fit, quod Romae uiuimus: illa domus,
35	illa mihi sedes, illic mea carpitur aetas;
36	huc una ex multis capsula me sequitur.
37	quod cum ita sit, nolim statuas nos mente maligna
38	id facere aut animo non satis ingenuo,
39	quod tibi non utriusque petenti copia posta est:
40	ultro ego deferrem, copia siqua foret.

[edit] Bibliography

• Simpson, C (1994). "Unnecessary homosexuality: the correspondent's request in Catullus 68A". Latomus 53: 564–569. 

• Fear, T (1992). "Veronae Turpe, Catulle, Esse". Illinois Classical Studies 17: 246–263. 

• Forsyth, P (1987). "Muneraque et Musarum hinc petis et Veneris. Catullus 68A.10". Classical World 80: 177–180. 

• Hubbard, T (1984). "C. 68. The Text as Self-Demystification". Arethusa 17: 29–49. 

• Sarkissian, J (1983). Catullus 68: An Interpretation. Leiden: Brill. 

[edit] External links

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.