Catullus 2: An Easier Prose Story

Catullus 2, along with Catullus 3, are famous poems referencing Lesbia’s pet sparrow. While a sparrow may seem like an unusual pet today, they were common pets, especially as a gift from a lover. My cats would love for me to have a pet bird, but I imagine it would be a little much for everyone: me, the cats, the poor tormented bird, and my husband.

I struggled some with this poem. Is it a sex metaphor? Maybe. Some people seem to have made that argument. Catullus doesn’t shy away from that topic. Though, I’m not sure I’m sold on that interpretation. Instead, I see some of the longing, the pain, and the distance. After all, this is a poem from a male perspective and the male gaze—where is Catullus anyway in this poem? He’s just sitting, on the outside, left out as he watches Lesbia and her sparrow who both seem completely oblivious to his presence. It feels lonely to me, so I approached my story from that angle.

I was able to incorporate much of the poem’s vocabulary into the story. Though, for the story’s sake, I did include some additional vocabulary that I’ve glossed. For example, susurrat, whispers, to highlight the quiet scene and titia, which is the sound a sparrow makes.

After reading some about the manuscript tradition for this poem, I decided to retain the separation between Catullus 2 and Catullus 2b, which does change in tone significantly. Please remember: I am no Catullus expert. I am creating these stories as a way to make the poetry I am reading a little more accessible. These stories can be prereading activities for reading Catullus’s poetry.

If you would like to read Catullus 1, visit this link. To skip ahead to Catullus 2B, visit this link.

Catullus 2: An Easier Prose Story

Catullus puellam cui nōmen est Lesbia spectat. Lesbia Catullum ignōrat quia Lesbia passerem[1] habet. Passer est dēliciae[2] Lesbiae, sed Catullus nūllās dēliciās et nūllum passerem habet. Catullus ipse passerem puellae dedit.

Catullus spectāns puellam cum passere invidet, sed Catullus nescit an invidet Lesbiae an passerī. 

“Passer,” Catullus susurrat,[3] sed nēmō eum audit.

Ille passer, quīcum[4] Lesbia lūdere solet,[5] sonōs lepidōs facit. Passer dīcit, “Titia!”[6]

“Quam pulcher tū es, mī passer!” Lesbia respondet.

Passer dīcit, “Ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-tia.”

Catullus passerem spectat. Lesbia passerem in sinū[7] tenet. Lesbia in sinū passerem tenēre solet.[8] Lesbia manum eī movet ad passerem, susurrāns, “Passer, mī passer, mī amāte passer.”

Sed passer ānxius iam vidētur, fortasse quia Lesbia manum ad passerem movet. 

Passer exclāmat, “TI-TIA! TI-TI-TIA!”

Lesbiane passerem incitat?[9] Catullus putat Lesbiam incitātūram passerem. Lesbia ācrēs morsūs incitāre solet.[10]

Lesbia passerī appetentī[11] prīmum digitum[12] dat. Passer incitātus ācrēs morsūs appetit.[13] 

“Vah!” Lesbia exclāmat, spectāns passerem quī iam dīcit, “Titia.” 

Catullus eōs spectat. Lesbia pulcherrima et cārum dēsīderium[14] Catullī est. Lesbia ipsa nitet.[15] Estne Catullus dēsīderium cārum Lesbiae?

Catullus Lesbiam rogat, “Doletne?” sed Lesbia eum nōn audit. 

Lesbia aliquid passerī susurrat. Catullus audīre nōn potest et vult scīre quid sit. Lūdere cum passere Lesbiam dēlectat. Iocārī[16]—nescit quid[17]—cārum passerem Lesbiae lubet.[18] Lesbia rīdet et cum passere in sinū lūdet.

Catullus intellegit. Catullus putat passerem esse sōlāciolum dolōris.[19] Catullus nescit quālis dolor sit. Dolor amōris fortasse. Amor gravis[20] esse potest. Crēdit ut tum gravis amor acquiēscat[21] quia cum illō passere lūdere possit.

Catullus Lesbiam lūdentem cum illō passere adhūc spectat. Solus est. Catullus dolōre amōris quoque affectus est.

Catullus susurrāns rogat, “Ego possem[22] tēcum, ō passer, lūdere sīcut ipsa! Sī tēcum lūdere possem, trīstēs cūrās animī[23] meī levārem.[24] Quōmodo levāre cūrās meās possum? Ego sōlāciolum dolōris nōn habeō.”

Sed nec passer nec Lesbia eum rogantem audit.

[1] Sparrow

[2] Pet, literally, darling

[3] Whispers

[4] With whom

[5] Is accustomed to play

[6] Chirp

[7] In (her) lap/bosom

[8] Is accustomed to hold

[9] Incites, provokes

[10] She is accustomed to provoke sharp pecks

[11] To the one (i.e., the sparrow) attacking/striving for

[12] The first finger

[13] Attacks

[14] Dear desire

[15] Shines, is bright white

[16] To joke

[17] Of some sort; he doesn’t know what (kind/type)

[18] Pleases; a synonym with delectat

[19] Solace of pain; small comfort of pain

[20] Painful, severe, heavy love

[21] Subside, ease; acquiesce

[22] I would be able to

[23] The sad cares of my spirit

[24] I would lighten

Catullus 2: In English Word Order

Passer, dēliciae meae puellae, quīcum (puella) solet lūdere, quem (solet) tenēre in sinū, cui appetentī (solet) dare prīmum digitum et (solet) incitāre ācrīs morsūs, iocārī cārum—nesciō quid—lubet cum meō nitentī dēsīderiō, et sōlācium suī dolōris, crēdō ut gravis ārdor tum acquiēscat. Possem lūdere tēcum sīcut ipsa, et levāre trīstes cūrās animī.

Catullus 2

Passer, dēliciae meae puellae,
quīcum lūdere, quem in sinū tenēre,
cui prīmum digitum dare appetentī,
et ācrīs solet incitāre morsūs,
cum dēsīderiō meō nitentī,                          5
cārum nesciō quid lubet iocārī,
et sōlāciolum suī dolōris,
crēdō ut tum gravis acquiēscat ārdor.
Tēcum lūdere sīcut ipsa possem,
et trīstīs animī levāre cūrās.                         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.