# Text & Translation

Meter - Hendecasyllabic
| Line | Latin Text | English Translation |
| 1 | Lugete, o Veneres Cupidinesque, | Mourn, Oh Venuses and Cupids |
| 2 | et quantum est hominum venustiorum: | And all men of finer feeling |
| 3 | passer mortuus est meae puellae, | The sparrow of my girl has died, |
| 4 | passer, deliciae meae puellae, | the sparrow, my lady's pet |
| 5 | quem plus illa oculis suis amabat. | Whom she loved more than her own eyes. |
| 6 | nam mellitus erat suamque norat | For it was honey sweet and it knew its own |
| 7 | ipsam tam bene quam puella matrem, | mistress just as well as a girl her mother, |
| 8 | nec sese a gremio illius movebat, | nor would it move from her lap |
| 9 | sed circumsiliens modo huc modo illuc | but hopping around from here, to there |
| 10 | ad solam dominam usque pipiabat. | it used to constantly chirp to its mistress alone. |
| 11 | qui nunc it per iter tenebricosum | it now goes through the dark journey |
| 12 | illuc, unde negant redire quemquam. | to that place from where they deny that anyone returns |
| 13 | at vobis male sit, malae tenebrae | but curse on you, evil shadows |
| 14 | Orci, quae omnia bella devoratis: | of hell , who devour all beautiful things: |
| 15 | tam bellum mihi passerem abstulistis | you have taken such a beautiful sparrow from me |
| 16 | o factum male! o miselle passer! | Oh what evil deeds! Oh unfortunate little sparrow! |
| 17 | tua nunc opera meae puellae | now, because of you, |
| 18 | flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli. | my girlfriends' little eyes are swollen red from weeping |

# Connotations of The Text
### Line 1

* Veneres Cupidinesque
This was a favourite phrase of Catullus's. He also uses it in poem 13.

### Lines 3-4

* passer... meae puellae - sparrow... of my girl
This anaconda conveys a rhetorical tone, something Catullus uses frequently.

### Line 9

* modo huc modo illuc - now here now there
The sound of this set of words imitates the way the little bird would have hopped around when it was alive.

### Line 10

* pipiabat - chirped
The sound of this word imitates the sound the little sparrow would have made. Written in scanned form - pǐpǐābǎt - the combination of longs and shorts reflect the little bird's voice.

# Vocabulary
### Line 1

* lugeo, lugere, luxi, luctus - to mourn
* Venus, Venus, Veneris f. (third declension) - Venus
* Cupido, Cupido Cupidinis m. (third declension) - Cupid

### Line 2

* homo, homo hominis m. man, human
* venustiorus, venustiorus venustiora venustiorum - sweeter/more delightful

### Line 3

* passer, passeris, m. - sparrow
* meus, mea, meum - my
* puella, puella, puellae f. - girl

### Line 4

* delicia, deliciae f. - delight

### Line 5

* plus, plus + Ablativus - more than
* ille, illa, ille, illud - she
* oculus, oculi m. - eye
* suus, suus, sua, suum - her
* amo, amare, amavi, amatum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - she/he/it loved

### Line 6

* mellitus, mellita, mellitum - honey sweet
* novi, novisse --> Plusquamperfect noveram --> no(ve)rat+contraction norat - to acknowledge as

### Line 7

* tam - so
* bene - well
* mater, matris f. - matrem -> accusativus singularis - mother

### Line 8

* gremium, gremii, n. - lap, bosom, female interior
* moveo, movere, movi, motum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - she moved
* a, a+ablativus - from

### Line 9

* sed - but
* circumsilio, circumsilio, circumsilire, circumsiliui - jump, hop around
* hoc - here
* illuc - there
* modo - once

### Line 10

* ad, ad+accusativus - about
* solus, solus, sola, solum - only
* domina, domina, dominae f. - akkusativus singularis - mistress
* usque - constantly, continually
* pipio, pipio, pipiare, pipiavi, pipiatum - Indicative Praeteritum Active - the passer sang / was singing

# External Links

* Catullus 3 A Translation of Catullus 3
* Catullus 3 Another Translation of Catullus 3