Catullus 10 Translation

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Introduction

 

Catullus begins the poem by talking about his friend Varus who took him from the Forum. At this time, Catullus was relaxing, but Varus took him to see his mistress. Catullus noticed that the mistress was a “nice little whore” at first glance. In line four, he said she was nice looking, as she wasn’t amiss in manner or looks. 

Then in line five, he shared that when he and Varus arrived, they all started having small talk. They even talked about Bithynia and what the place is like now. They talked about whether or not he made any money while he was there. Then, Catullus turns the focus of the poem on Bithynia and the people who live there. In line nine, he shares that he answered the questions about Bithynia and how the people of the land cannot figure out how to return to Rome fatter than when they went; this is a reference to how they do not eat much and that they do not have much money. 

Then, in line 10, he wrote about a praetor who would molest the people of Bithynia, where he did not care about the people who were under his command. Then, people respond by asking more questions about the area. They wonder if there are bearers for his chair and how the people who would carry his chair are from Bithynia. Catullus said that he convinced the girl that he was more fortunate than other people. 

He then continues his story about Bithynia and how he did not get the number of men that he wanted while he was there. He couldn’t find any men. He wanted one that could lift him up. Catullus tried to get the girl to feel sorry for him and she asked if he could share the men he spoke of in Bithynia. Catullus said that she spoke just like a molester. They continued to talk about the men he did not get.

 

Carmen 10

 
LineLatin textEnglish translation
1VARUS me meus ad suos amoresMy dear Varus had taken me from the Forum,
2uisum duxerat e foro otiosum,where I was idling, to pay a visit to his mistress,
3scortillum, ut mihi tum repente uisum est,a nice little whore, as I thought at a first glance,
4non sane illepidum neque inuenustum,not at all amiss in manner or looks.
5huc ut uenimus, incidere nobisWhen we got there, we fell talking of this and that,
6sermones uarii, in quibus, quid essetand amongst other things, what sort of place
7iam Bithynia, quo modo se haberet,Bithynia was now, how its affairs were going on,
8et quonam mihi profuisset aere.whether I had made any money there.
9respondi id quod erat, nihil neque ipsisI answered (what was true) that neither the people themselves,
10nec praetoribus esse nec cohorti,nor the praetors nor their staff can find any means
11cur quisquam caput unctius referret,of coming back fatter than they went,
12praesertim quibus esset irrumatorespecially as they had such a clintonizer for a praetor,
13praetor, nec faceret pili cohortem.a fellow who did not care a straw for his subalterns.
14‘at certe tamen,’ inquiunt ‘quod illic“Well, but at any rate,” say they, “you must have got
15natum dicitur esse, comparastisome bearers for your chair. I am told that is country
16ad lecticam homines.’ ego, ut puellaewhere they are bred.” I, to make myself out to the girl
17unum me facerem beatiorem,as specially fortunate above rest,
18‘non’ inquam ‘mihi tam fuit malignesay, “Things did not go so unkindly with me
19ut, prouincia quod mala incidisset,–bad as the province was which fell to my chance–
20non possem octo homines parare rectos.’to prevent my getting eight straight-backed fellows.”
21at mi nullus erat nec hic neque illicNow I had not a single one, here or there,
22fractum qui ueteris pedem grabatiStrong enough to hoist on his shoulder
23in collo sibi collocare posset.the broken leg of an old sofa.
24hic illa, ut decuit cinaediorem,Says she (just like a little sodomite),
25“quaeso” inquit “mihi, mi Catulle, paulum“I beg you, my dear Catullus, do lend me those slaves you speak of for a moment;
26istos commoda: nam uolo ad SerapimI want just now to be taken to the temple of Serapis.”
27deferri.” “mane” inquii puellae,“Stop,” I say to the girl,
28“istud quod modo dixeram me habere,“what I said just now about those slaves that they were mine,
29fugit me ratio: meus sodalis–it was a slip; a friend of mine–
30Cinna est Gaius– is sibi parauit.Gaius Cinna it is– it was he who bought them;
31uerum, utrum illius an mei, quid ad me?but it is all one me whether they are his or mine,
32utor tam bene quam mihi pararim.I use them just if I had bought them for myself:
33sed tu insulsa male et molesta uiuis,but you are a stupid, tiresome thing,
34per quam non licet esse neglegentem.”who will never let one be off one’s guard.”

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Resources

 

VRoma Project: http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/010x.html

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