5
Ten provincia narrat esse bellam?
Ten provincia narrat esse bellam?
Catullus - Carmina
A shameless prostitute deems me fair sport,
and denies return to me of our writing tablets, if ye are able to endure
this. Let's after her, and claim them back. "Who may she be," ye ask? That
one, whom ye see strutting awkwardly, stagily, and stiffly, and with a
laugh on her mouth like a Gallic whelp. Throng round her, and claim them
back. "O putrid punk, hand back our writing tablets; hand back, O putrid
punk, our writing tablets. " Not a jot dost heed? O Muck, Brothel-Spawn, or
e'en loathsomer if it is possible so to be! Yet think not yet that this is
enough. For if naught else we can extort a blush on thy brazened bitch's
face. We'll yell again in heightened tones, "O putrid punk, hand back our
writing tablets, hand back, O putrid punk, our writing tablets. " But naught
we profit, naught she budges. Changed must your measure and your manner be,
an you would further progress make--"O Virgin pure and spotless, hand back
our writing tablets. "
XXXXIII.
Salve, nec minimo puella naso
Nec bello pede nec nigris ocellis
Nec longis digitis nec ore sicco
Nec sane nimis elegante lingua,
Decoctoris amica Formiani.
5
Ten provincia narrat esse bellam?
Tecum Lesbia nostra conparatur?
O saeclum insapiens et infacetum!
XXXXIII.
TO MAMURRA'S MISTRESS.
Hail, girl who neither nose of minim size
Owns, nor a pretty foot, nor jetty eyes,
Nor thin long fingers, nor mouth dry of slaver
Nor yet too graceful tongue of pleasant flavour,
Leman to Formian that rake-a-hell. 5
What, can the Province boast of thee as belle?
Thee with my Lesbia durst it make compare?
O Age insipid, of all humour bare!
Hail, O maiden with nose not of the tiniest, with foot lacking shape and
eyes lacking darkness, with fingers scant of length, and mouth not dry and
tongue scant enough of elegance, _chere amie_ of Formianus the wildling.
And thee the province declares to be lovely? With thee our Lesbia is to be
compared? O generation witless and unmannerly!
XXXXIIII.
O funde noster seu Sabine seu Tiburs,
(Nam te esse Tiburtem autumant, quibus non est
Cordi Catullum laedere: at quibus cordist,
Quovis Sabinum pignore esse contendunt)
Sed seu Sabine sive verius Tiburs, 5
Fui libenter in tua suburbana
Villa malamque pectore expuli tussim,
Non inmerenti quam mihi meus venter,
Dum sumptuosas adpeto, dedit, cenas.
Nam, Sestianus dum volo esse conviva, 10
Orationem in Antium petitorem
Plenam veneni et pestilentiae legi.
and denies return to me of our writing tablets, if ye are able to endure
this. Let's after her, and claim them back. "Who may she be," ye ask? That
one, whom ye see strutting awkwardly, stagily, and stiffly, and with a
laugh on her mouth like a Gallic whelp. Throng round her, and claim them
back. "O putrid punk, hand back our writing tablets; hand back, O putrid
punk, our writing tablets. " Not a jot dost heed? O Muck, Brothel-Spawn, or
e'en loathsomer if it is possible so to be! Yet think not yet that this is
enough. For if naught else we can extort a blush on thy brazened bitch's
face. We'll yell again in heightened tones, "O putrid punk, hand back our
writing tablets, hand back, O putrid punk, our writing tablets. " But naught
we profit, naught she budges. Changed must your measure and your manner be,
an you would further progress make--"O Virgin pure and spotless, hand back
our writing tablets. "
XXXXIII.
Salve, nec minimo puella naso
Nec bello pede nec nigris ocellis
Nec longis digitis nec ore sicco
Nec sane nimis elegante lingua,
Decoctoris amica Formiani.
5
Ten provincia narrat esse bellam?
Tecum Lesbia nostra conparatur?
O saeclum insapiens et infacetum!
XXXXIII.
TO MAMURRA'S MISTRESS.
Hail, girl who neither nose of minim size
Owns, nor a pretty foot, nor jetty eyes,
Nor thin long fingers, nor mouth dry of slaver
Nor yet too graceful tongue of pleasant flavour,
Leman to Formian that rake-a-hell. 5
What, can the Province boast of thee as belle?
Thee with my Lesbia durst it make compare?
O Age insipid, of all humour bare!
Hail, O maiden with nose not of the tiniest, with foot lacking shape and
eyes lacking darkness, with fingers scant of length, and mouth not dry and
tongue scant enough of elegance, _chere amie_ of Formianus the wildling.
And thee the province declares to be lovely? With thee our Lesbia is to be
compared? O generation witless and unmannerly!
XXXXIIII.
O funde noster seu Sabine seu Tiburs,
(Nam te esse Tiburtem autumant, quibus non est
Cordi Catullum laedere: at quibus cordist,
Quovis Sabinum pignore esse contendunt)
Sed seu Sabine sive verius Tiburs, 5
Fui libenter in tua suburbana
Villa malamque pectore expuli tussim,
Non inmerenti quam mihi meus venter,
Dum sumptuosas adpeto, dedit, cenas.
Nam, Sestianus dum volo esse conviva, 10
Orationem in Antium petitorem
Plenam veneni et pestilentiae legi.
