Catullus 14B: A Prose Adaptation

Fragments of poetry catch me off guard in this project. What exactly am I supposed to do with three lines of charming verse to would-be readers (who are in fact readers of the poetry, which I find delightful). In Catullus 2B, I turned a handful of lines into something drawn out and playful between Lesbia and Catullus. Here, I have Catullus at the beginning of a recital of his poetry. It’s short and sweet, much like the fragment itself.

I can easily imagine beginning a Catullus unit with this fragment, or perhaps ending one. Is his claim that we wouldn’t disdain to read him a correct one? How could our own modern tastes and interests affect our answer, and how might a Roman have answered that question?

If you would like to return to Catullus 14, here’s the link for that.

Catullus 14B: A Prose Adaptation

Catullus ānxius est. Ipse versūs suōs in hōc grege scrīptōrum clārōrum numquam recitāvit. Valdē vult versūs eōs dēlectāre, sed incertus est.  

Catullus recitātūrus stat, et tussit. Dīcit, “Em, prīmum, scrīptōrēs clārī, sī aliquī forte eritis lēctōrēs meārum ineptiārum,”[1]

Catullus mōmentum subsistit ut scrīptōrēs clārōs īnspiciat. Rīdent. Videntur studiōsī. 

Catullus pergit, “Vōs nōn horrēbitis manūs vestrās admovēre nōbīs.”[2]

Omnēs iam rīdent, et Catullus cōnfīdentiam tenēns recitāre incēpit.

“Passer, dēliciae meae puellae…”

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[1] If any of you by chance will be readers of my foolish attempts,

[2] You will not disdain to lay/move your hands on us; understood, books or verses, not Catullus personally.

Catullus 14B: In English Word Order

Sī (ali)quī forte eritis lēctōrēs meārum ineptiārum -que nōn horrēbitis admovēre vestrās manūs nōbīs. 

Catullus 14B: The Original Poem

Sī quī forte meārum ineptiārum
lēctōrēs eritis manūsque vestrās
nōn horrēbitis admovēre nōbīs.

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The image for this title 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.