Catullus 8

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Catullus 8 is a poem by the Roman writer Catullus. In the poem, Catullus tells himself to buck up after he has been dumped by his girlfriend.

The meter of the poem is choliambic, a relatively unusual form for Catullus.

Contents 1 Latin text and translation 2 Notes 3 Bibliography 4 External links

[edit] Latin text and translation

Line	Latin text	English translation
1	miser Catulle dēsinās ineptīre	Wretched Catullus, may you cease to make a fool of yourself.
2	et quod vidēs perīsse perditum dūcās	And consider lost that which you see has come to an end.
3	fulsēre quondam candidī tibī sōlēs	The bright suns once shone for you,
4	cum ventitābās quō puella dūcēbat	When you were often coming where the girl was leading—
5	amāta nōbīs quantum amābitur nūlla	No girl will be loved as much as she had been loved by us.
6	ibi illa multa cum iocōsa fiēbant	When those playful things were happening there,
7	quae tū volēbas nec puella nolēbat	Which you were willing to do and the girl was not unwilling,
8	fulsēre vērē candidī tibī sōlēs	Truly the bright suns shone for you.
9	nunc iam illa nōn vult tū quoque inpotens nōlī[1]	Now at last that girl is not willing; you also, though lacking self-control, be unwilling,
10	nec quae fugit sectāre nec miser vīve	And do not pursue she who flees nor live as a lovesick man,
11	sed obstinātā mente perfer obdūrā	But endure with a determined mind; be resolute.
12	valē puella iam Catullus obdūrat	Goodbye, girl. Already Catullus is hardened,
13	nec tē requīret nec rogābit invītam	And neither looks nor will ask for you unwilling girl.
14	at tū dolēbis cum rogāberis nūlla	But you yourself will be sorry when you are never asked for again.
15	scelesta vae tē quae tibī manet vīta	Wicked one, woe to you! What life awaits you?
16	quis nunc tē adībit cui vidēberis bella	Who will come to you now? To whom will you seem cute?
17	quem nunc amābis cuius esse dīcēris	Whom will you love now? Whose will you be said to be?
18	quem basiābis cuī labella mordēbis	Whom will you kiss? Whose lips will you bite?
19	at tū Catulle dēstinātus obdūrā	Yet you, Catullus, resolute, stand fast.

[edit] Notes

1. ^  The end of line 9 is missing in all extant manuscripts: the line ends at tu quoque inpote, and the end of the line has been reconstructed as tu quoque inpotens noli based on the grammar, context, and meter of the line.

[edit] Bibliography

• Schmiel, R (1990). "The Structure of Catullus 8: A History of Interpretation". Classical Journal 86: 158–166. 

• Connor, PJ (1974). "Catullus 8: The Lover's Conflict". Antichthon 8: 93–96. 

• Dyson, M (1973). "Catullus 8 and 76". Classical Quarterly 23: 127–143. 

• Skinner, MB (1971). "Catullus 8: The Comic Amator as Eiron". Classical Journal 66: 298–305. 

• Akbar Khan, H (1968). "Style and Meaning in Catullus' Eighth Poem". Latomus 27: 556–574. 

• Moritz, LA (1966). "Miser Catulle: A Postscript". Greece and Rome 13: 156–157. 

• Rowland, RL (1966). "Miser Catulle: An Interpretation of the Eighth Poem of Catullus". Greece and Rome 13. 

• Swanson, RA (1963). "The Humor of Catullus 8". Classical Journal 58: 193–196. 

[edit] External links

• Carmina for some of the texts in Latin.
• http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/l8.htm
• Catullus 3 recited Video

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.