I must confess something that seems rather shameless in the world of people who read Latin: I have read very little Catullus. In fact, I’ve read maybe a handful of poems, only two that I remember in any detail. I have probably read the poems about Lesbia’s famous sparrow—maybe, anyway—but I do vividly remember both Catullus 51 and 101. I might have even agreed to memorize Catullus 51 for one of my student’s fundraisers, where I recited it on stage in a toga. Though I don’t remember what prompted me to read Catullus 101, its pain and grief are renowned. Maybe that’s what drew me to it, the sense of loss.
Still, you’re probably wondering why I’m here with an easier adaptation of neither of those poems but instead of Catullus 1.
Let me explain.
I’ve long harbored some sense that I should read (and remember reading) more Catullus than I do. I particularly enjoy Latin poetry. I really like both Catullus 51 and 101 (which, I know, are very different in tone to some of his poems, #cough). In addition, I know that many teachers particularly enjoy teaching some of Catullus’ poetry. I rather like writing projects, so I thought that I might like the (long) project of reading Catullus’ poetry through and writing short, easier prose adaptations for prereading activities. It could be useful. It could be fun.
Also, it could be neither of those things and a project I never finish.
I do tend to find myself busier and busier with less and less time. Yet, here I am, with a first start. I plan to use as much of the vocabulary from the poems as possible in the short stories, though some of it will be unfamiliar. I plan to gloss much of the less common vocabulary and to provide other contextual aids, like synonyms and/or additional context, to help with comprehension when reading the prose and ultimately the story.
Also… I have one more confession: Now that I have reread this first poem and turned it into a simple adaptation for prereading, I do have some vague recollections of having read it.
Memory is such a fickle thing.
May we all last more than an age in a good, delightful, pleasing way.
Wish me luck.
Catullus 1: In Prose
Catullus ad domum Cornēliī it, librum novum tenēns. Apud domum Cornēliī, Catullus Cornēlium vīdet.
“Salvē, mī amīce,” Catulus exclāmat.
“Mī amīce, ille scrīptor Cattule, salvē,!” Cornēlius gaudet et respondet.
Catullus librum Cornēliō dēmōnstrat et dīcit, “Tibi librum dōnō, sed parvus et brevis liber est. Itaque, libellus[1] est.”
Cornēlius librum accipit et spectat. Cornēlius gaudēns et rīdēns respondet, “Tuus libellus novus mē dēlectat. Lepidus[2] est! Quam brevēs versūs tuī sunt!”
Catullus rīdet, “Lepidus est—et novissimus. Ego ad tē ē tabernā libellum lepidum portāvī.”
Cornēlius intellegit. Libellum spectat. Dīcit, “Itaque, haec membrāna recenter expolīta sunt?”[3]
Catullus respondet, “Libellus certē expolītus est! Āridā pūmice[4] recenter—modo[5]—in tabernā expolītus est.”
Cornēlius rīdet, “Optimē! Ego putō libellum lepidum mē dēlectātūrum esse. Sed cūr libellum lepidum dēdicāre et dōnāre mihi tū vīs?”
Catullus rīdēns respondet, “Bene, nōn omnēs putant libellōs meōs esse lepidōs. Multī hominēs nōn putant libellōs meōs sē dēlectātūrōs esse. Dīcunt libellōs meōs esse brevēs et rīdiculōs. Sed tū? Tū es scrīptor nōtus, et tū explicāvistī[6] Italōrum tōtam historiam—omne aevum[7]—tribus librīs chartārum! Multae chartae in librīs tuīs sunt. Quot chartārum? Et, Ō Iuppiter, quam dīligenter tū scrībēbās! Historia tua longa est, et labōriōsa, et certē docta.”
Cornēlius nōn iam rīdet. Cornēlius nescit an Catullus arrīdeat[8] Cornēlium. Cornēlius nihil dīcit. Cornēlius nōn respondet, spectāns libellum. Cornēlius cōnfūsus est.
Catullus dīcit, “Sed tū, ō auctor nōtus quī ausus es[9] explicāre illam historiam, tū quī ausus es scrībere multa verba in chartīs, tū certē nōn putās versūs meōs esse rīdiculōs! Nam[10] tū solēs[11] putāre meōs versūs, meās nūgās,[12] esse aliquid bonī.”
Cornēlius adhūc nōn rīdet sed spectat librum et spectat Catullum rīdentem.
Catullus dīcit, “Ecce, quārē[13] habē hunc libellum, quidquid et quālecumque[14] libellus meus sit,
Cornēlius cōnfūsus respondet, “Em, Cattule, ego illum libellum iam habeō. Tū iam mihi dedistī.”
Sed Catullus Cornēliō nōn respondet. Catullus Cornēlium ignōrat. Catullus exclāmat, “Ō patrōna virgō—ō intellegēns Minerva, libellus meus semper et perenne[15] maneat, plūs ūnā vītā, plūs ūnō saeclō!”[16]
Cornēlius dē tribus librīs suīs cōgitat. Quis volet legere dē tōtā historiā Italōrum multīs saeclīs abhinc? Quis dē Cornēliō sciet? Subitō, Cornēlius ānxius est. Scientne hominēs dē librō suō dē historiā Italōrum libellō Catullī?
Catullus rīdet et ē domō Cornēliī it.
[1] A little book, sometimes with a connotation of being dear
[2] Charming
[3] Were made smooth; polished
[4] With a dry stone
[5] Just now
[6] You explained; you unfolded
[7] The whole age
[8] Is mocking; laughing at
[9] You dared
[10] For (as in, let me explain further)
[11] You are accustomed
[12] Trifles, nonsense
[13] Wherefore; from what cause
[14] Whatever kind
[15] Perennially; perpetually
[16] A generation
English Word Order
Cui dōnō lepidum novum libellum modo expolītum āridā pūmice? Cornēlī, tibi (dōnō); namque tū solēbās putāre meās nūgās esse aliquid, iam tum cum ūnus ausus es explicāre omne aevum Italōrum tribus chartīs doctīs et labōriōsis, Iuppiter. Quārē habe quidquid quālecumque hoc libellī, quod, ō patrōna virgō, maneat perenne plūs ūnō saeclō.
Catullus I
Cui dōnō lepidum novum libellum āridā modo pūmice expolītum? Cornēlī, tibi; namque tū solēbās meās esse aliquid putāre nūgās, iam tum cum ausus es ūnus Italōrum 5 omne aevum tribus explicāre chartīs doctīs, Iuppiter, et labōriōsīs! Quārē habē tibi quidquid hoc libellī quālecumque, quod, ō patrōna virgō, plūs ūnō maneat perenne saeclō. 10
The image for this page comes from the British Library’s catalogue of illuminated manuscripts. I am grateful that the image is dedicated to the public domain. I have done minor photoshop editing to clarify the image, crop it, and add a heading for the poem.
One Comment
Pingback: