Catullus 13
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Cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me is the first line, sometimes used as a title, of Carmen 13 from the collected poems of the 1st-century BC Latin poet Catullus. The poem belongs to the literary genre of mock-invitation.[1] Fabullus is invited to dine at the poet's home, but he will need to bring all the elements of a dinner party (cena) himself: the host pleads poverty. Catullus will provide only meros amores, "the essence of love",[2] and a perfume given to him by his girlfriend, granted to her by multiple Venuses and Cupids, guaranteed to make Fabullus wish he was all nose.
Latin text and translation
Line | Latin text | English translation |
---|---|---|
1 | Cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me | You will dine well, my Fabullus, with me |
2 | paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus | in a few days, if the gods favor you, |
3 | si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam | if with you bring with you a good and great |
4 | cenam, non sine candida puella | meal, not without a fair-skinned girl |
5 | et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis | and wine and wit and with all the banter. |
6 | Haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster, | If these, I say, you bring, our charming friend, |
7 | cenabis bene; nam tui Catulli | you will dine well, for the purse of your Catullus |
8 | plenus sacculus est aranearum. | is full of cobwebs. |
9 | Sed contra accipies meros amores | But in exchange you will receive undiluted love |
10 | seu quid suavius elegantiusve est: | or whatever is more sweet or more elegant: |
11 | nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae | for I will give perfume, which to my girl |
12 | donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque, | Venus and Cupid have given, |
13 | quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis, | (which) when you will smell (it), you will ask the gods, |
14 | totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum. | to make you, Fabullus, all nose. |
References
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