Catullus 102 Translation
Introduction |
In poem 102, Catullus talks about his ability to be a trusted friend. In line one and two, he talks about how a friend could keep a secret in confidence by a faithful and loyal friend. Then, in three and four, Catullus says that he is consecrated by the rite of loyalty. He finishes the poem by saying he could be Harpocrates.
For those who do not know, Harpocrates was the god of silence and confidential secrets. Catullus says he can be trusted like the god. Catullus shares his personality trait of being a secret keeper with Cornelius.
Cornelius appears in the first Catullus poem, and again in 102. Cornelius was a poet and critic. In 102, Catullus is interested in proving his loyalty to him. He is devoted to Cornelius and would promise to keep secrets. Unfortunately, since Catullus is keeping the secret, he does not reveal what the secret is in the poem. Whatever the secret is, it must be valuable to for Catullus to talk about keeping it in this poem.
Catullus often likes to talk about himself in relation to other authors. In many of the poems, Catullus is self-deprecating. But in this poem, he shows off his talent and touts his ability to be loyal, trusted, and consecrated.
The word consecrated is a unique choice, too. It is generally used when referring to divine purposes. He also talks about rites, which are also connected to divinity. Catullus does write about the god of silence and secrets, but the rites and consecration are more about keeping secrets and being loyal than simply referring to a god.
The word choices make one wonder what Catullus actually thought of Cornelius. Did he idolize the author? How important was the secret that he needed to write a poem expounding on his ability to keep one?
Carmen 102 |
| Line | Latin text | English translation |
|---|---|---|
1 | SI quicquam tacito commissum est fido ab amico, | IF ever any secret whatsoever was entrusted in confidence by a faithful friend, |
2 | cuius sit penitus nota fides animi, | the loyalty of whose heart was fully known, |
3 | meque esse inuenies illorum iure sacratum, | you will find that I am consecrated by their rite, |
4 | Corneli, et factum me esse puta Arpocratem. | Cornelius, and you may think that I am become a very Harpocrates. |
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Resources |
VRoma Project: http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/102.html
